Love Of The Magic Kind
by The Last Letter
Summary: Rose is on the run from her past and the war camp that she grew up in. She seeks refuge with the dragon royal family, working as a maid. It's there that she meets Jake - a kind, funny servant who she never suspects is hiding anything from her during their whirlwind romance. When her past catches up to them, Rose has to make a terrible choice and it's Jake's life in the balance.
1. Chapter 1

Rose hurried after Melinda, trying not to let her legs tangle in her long skirts. She was used to wearing pants, not the dress of the castle's servants. She tried not to make a face as the older woman spoke. She was here to do a job; she was here to blend in. As far as anyone in the castle was concerned, she was just another teenaged orphan, uprooted by the border wars who was seeking refuge and work in the castle. She straightened up.

"Everything needs to be cleaned and then cleaned again!" Melinda exclaimed. "I don't know if you've ever met a dragon."

Rose shook her head. It was easier.

"They're messy to clean up after – scales, smoke, _fire_. Their tails, they never watch their tails, although if any of them ask, I didn't say that."

Rose nodded but she didn't think Melinda noticed it. "Your main duty is the princess's quarters. Make sure that it is always clean, cut her fresh flowers from the garden when need be. Check in on her room regularly. Before she retires for the night, you are to turn down her bedsheets for her and make sure that she is comfortable. She does have her own handmaidens so her needs aren't specifically your responsibility. When you have finished with her room, report to Delores and she will find you another task."

Rose nodded.

"I will be helping you through today and then tomorrow, you will be on your own."

"Thank you."

It was just cleaning; there was nothing there that Rose _couldn't _handle. She followed Melinda into the princess's room and together, they set to work.

(-.-)

The next day, Rose was so exhausted that she didn't understand how people did this every day. The castle was big but she had underestimated just how much work went into it. She returned to the princess's chambers and stripped the bed, realizing that some of the sheets had become singed during the night. Princess Haley was only about eleven years old and Melinda had warned her that, the younger the dragon, the more uncontrolled they were with their abilities and that she should not be surprised to find soot often in the princess's room. With a sigh, Rose gathered up the dirty sheets and carried them to the disposal bin, gathering new sheets on her way back up. She was ascending the servant's stairs, trying to peer around the blankets that she was holding, when she was bumped into. She promptly dropped the sheets and stumbled down the three steps she had managed to climb.

"Jeez! I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

Rose rubbed at her hip. "I'm fine, really. Can you watch where you're going next time?"

"Heh, sorry."

Rose looked up as the stranger she'd bumped into gathered her fallen blankets and put them in a pile. He finally turned to face her.

"Have I seen you before?"

Rose shook her head, thinking that she certainly would have remembered seeing _him _before. He was tall and well-built, his long-sleeved red jacket strained around his biceps. He had thick black hair and brown eyes that she realized she was just staring at.

"I'm Jake, manservant to the prince." He held out his hand.

Rose shook it, saying, "Isn't the _Prince's _name Jacob also?"

"Yeah, I've always thought that's why I got the job, just in case there was an assassination plot or something and they had to switch me out." He grinned brightly and Rose just laughed. What's your name?"

"Rose. It's my second day here."

"Where are you headed, Rose?"

"The princess's chambers. I'm supposed to be making her bed … Should I go and get her new blankets since I dropped those?" She made a face this time, feeling like Jake wouldn't rat her out.

"What they won't know won't hurt them," Jake advised and he picked up the blanket pile. "Can I walk with you?"

"You don't have somewhere else to be, manservant to the prince?"

"He's in a training session and I am free for a few minutes. Or do you not want me to walk with you?"

"I'd like you to walk with me," Rose decided. It was those eyes. He was a handsome man. She'd never really had the chance to really interact with someone her own age in that kind of way before but she already liked the way that she felt when she looked at him.

"Someone needs to protect you from people who aren't looking where they're going," Jake said with a grin.

"Well, thank you. I can take the blankets."

"Nah, don't worry about it. A quilt won't kill me … Luckily, you're not carrying two quilts because that _would_ be the end of me."

Rose smiled to herself.

"How's the second day?" Jake continued.

"It's good."

"Dead tired?" Jake guessed.

"_Yes_! Big places get dirty without any work or anything and I know that but it's actually crazy how much needs to get done every single day! And I'm just focusing on the princess's chambers!"

"The prince is ten times as bad," Jake said with a conspiratorial look.

Rose shuddered. "Poor you."

"I've been doing this for a long time," Jake said. "I practically grew up here so I don't really know any other life."

"Is that better or worse?"

"You tell me," Jake said. They stopped in front of Princess Haley's chamber doors and Rose reached out for the blankets but Jake kept a hold of them. "Why don't we eat breakfast together tomorrow? You can tell me then?"

Rose didn't have to take a lot of time to consider what he was offering. "I'd really like that. What time do you think?"

"Five-thirty?" Jake said. "I have to be in the prince's chamber at six."

"I'll meet you by the kitchen," Rose said.

Jake handed over her blankets. "Have a good second day."

"Thank you."

She stood next to the door and watched the back of his head until he was out of sight and then she scurried back into the room. Her thoughts were occupied today and the work flowed much easier. Maybe she really could build herself a real life here. Maybe she could really be free from the before life. Either way, by the time her second day at the castle ended, she was feeling optimistic.

(-.-)

"You're late!"

Jake shrugged at his grandfather's loud exclamation as he strolled onto the open field. He had a good reason for being late to training – whether or not Gramps agreed with him, Rose was an excellent reason. He knew that Gramps would scoff at him and say that pretty girls were not the point that he should be focusing on. There were still wars; he needed to learn as much as he could so that he could go to the front when he was ready and not put himself and the army in jeopardy but it felt so far away. He knew people were dying and he knew that people deserved a prince that was there and there were few things more important than training but, every once in a while, Jake could take the five minutes.

"I'm here now. I'll stay late," Jake said, like it would placate his grandfather.

The giant blue dragon let a jet of flame come from his lips instead of answering. He stood up on his hind legs and crossed his arms over his chest. He just stared at Jake until Jake sighed and let himself transform. He lost his human appearance, taking on one of magic: one of a bright red dragon. He stretched out his muscles, unfurling his wings and letting the breeze catch them without lifting his heavy body from the ground. He dug his claws into the damp earth.

"What are we doing today, Gramps?"

"Hunting."

Jake cocked his head to the side. "Hunting?"

"I have prepared, through the forests, signs of campsites. Things that you may see of human enemies when you are on the front. I want you to see if you can discover all twelve of them."

Jake stretched his arms out in front of him and flapped his wings, hovering just above the ground. "This is too easy."

Gramps just seemed amused by the whole thing. "After you, then."

Jake took off confidently, listening to the flap of his grandfather's wings behind him. He kept a sharp eye peeled as he went but, mostly, all he saw were citizens, waving up at two members of the royal family. Jake waved back, as he had always been told to do, but, honestly, he'd probably have done it even without the word of advice. He liked being seen as protector. He liked that people looked up to him as the crown prince.

"Jake! Focus!"

He was focusing! He _was_! But there was absolutely nothing to see. Jake circled the edges of the woods, working his way in, and there was nothing to see. Six hours later, he had found _nine _campsites and he could tell that Gramps was frustrated with him. Well, fine, he was frustrated with himself too.

"We are done for the day," Gramps decided.

"I can do it!"

"We will try again tomorrow," Gramps said. "And every day after, until you can do it consistently."

Jake dropped onto the field, annoyed. He shook himself and stretched his wings out. He kept his dragon persona as he followed Gramps back into the castle. He wasn't, technically, supposed to be running around as a human but he knew that Gramps didn't lecture him about it because, honestly, it was the quickest way to get around and sometimes, he needed to be able to move around, looking like a servant. The fact that Jake, and his little sister, Haley, could look like humans was something that had always been kept under wraps. There were only a handful of people in the world that knew they could. Gramps said, that when the time came, it would give them a tactical advantage, but Jake was hoping that the border wars ended before it got to that point. His parents often sent news back from the front but it went from small skirmishes to full on battles too often for Jake to say what the outcome could be or when it would come.

"Take a few moments to rest before dinner," Gramps advised.

Jake nodded and headed back to his room. His manservant and best friend, Spud, was in his chambers already. As soon as Jake shoved his door shut with his tail, he turned back into a human. He loved being a dragon – he loved the power and abilities that it gave him – but, sometimes, just being a person was so much easier. His dragon's body was so much clunkier and, when he was inside, it was nicer to not have to worry about where his tail was going.

"You were gone a long time today," Spud observed, digging out fresh clothing for Jake.

"Yeah and none of it was great," Jake said. "I'm never going to be where he wants me to be."

"You're doing great."

"You _have _to say that," Jake said, tugging his old shirt over his head.

"It doesn't mean I don't mean it."

"Thanks, Spud." Jake sat on the end of his bed. "Tell me about the new servant."

"Which one?"

"Rose. The one cleaning Haley's chambers now."

"Pretty. From the border. Said her parents were killed in the war."

"So, totally human?"

"Mhm. She saw a leprechaun last night leaving dinner with Lao Shi. She looked a little freaked out. Clearly, she hasn't had much exposure to magic, no matter what her parents were doing."

Jake nodded along, thinking of her pretty blue eyes. If she had lived on the border, if her parents were soldiers, she'd probably seen more than he had.

"Why?"

"I'm having breakfast with her tomorrow."

"As you or …"

"If she meets you, I have another manservant named Jake. Just so you're in on this."

"If she talks to anyone else, they're going to tell her the truth."

Jake could only shrug. "Maybe get Trixie to befriend her."

"Trixie's going to yell at you."

"Trixie always yells at me," Jake said. "Come on, what's it going to hurt?"

"Depends on how hard this Rose girl can hit when she finds out you're lying to her."

"_If_," Jake said, watching Spud clean up behind him.

"You couldn't have said anything other than prince's manservant? It's too obvious! You've got me and that's it. The whole castle knows that."

"So, I'm not that smart! No one is surprised that I didn't think this through. I don't know! I ran into her on my way to training and she was pretty and I didn't even want to think about it. I was a human. How was I going to just not talk to her again?"

"Aww, you've got a crush. This is cute. No, this is good. I'm going to enjoy this."

"Spud!"

Spud was unoffended and continued on, "You've got to really romance her. Sweet talk her, girls love stuff like that."

"Number one, when was the last time you had a date? Number two, Trixie would knock out a man that tried to sweet talk her."

"Just because I've never had a date doesn't mean that I don't know what I'm talking about."

"I really think it does."

"I always know what I'm talking about."

Jake _really _didn't believe that but Jake knew that he couldn't argue with Spud. Spud's mother was Jake's mother's servant and, somehow, it ended up that Jake and Spud were the same age and had been best friends throughout growing up. It was unusual that Spud had taken over the job of manservant when, normally, it would have been given to someone older with more experience in the job, but Jake and Spud knew each other so well and Spud was already in on Jake's secret and so there was no one better for the job. It meant that they had a deeper understanding of one another than was expected and it meant that the two of them often got into more trouble than it was worth, along with Haley's maidservant, Trixie, who was also in on the dragons' secret.

"Come on," Spud said, "transform back. You've got to go down to dinner."

Jake pushed himself from his bed, letting the transformation take over. He felt too big for the room, though he knew that the castle had been built oversized to accommodate the years of royal dragons that had walked through its walls. When he was a dragon, he felt uneasy unless there was open sky above him. Spud opened the door for him. Jake headed out and Spud followed behind him, at a respectful servants' distance. As they had gotten older, the difference between prince and manservant had only grown and Jake often found himself resenting it. When they were children, they'd been allowed to play like they were the same and Jake often found himself missing it. It had been better then, when he'd been more ignorant of what was waiting on him as he grew up.

His claws clicked on the top of the stairs and he half-turned his head, knowing it was their last moment alone before they started down onto the main floor.

"Will you _please _talk to Trixie?"

"I'm telling her it was all your idea."

"Fine."

It was fair. There was no reason for Spud to get in hot water with Trixie because Jake had said something stupid. And Trixie would dish out the hot water, though she couldn't take as good as she gave, which often ended in her being angry with Jake and Spud. It would all eventually subside. She'd get over it.

Jake lumbered through the open archway of the dining hall, taking his station next to Lao Shi at the head table. Haley was already there and she stuck out her long, forked tongue when Lao Shi couldn't see her. Jake resisted the urge to retaliate – if only because _he _would get caught where his perfect little sister never would.

"You were almost late," Haley hissed.

"Was not!"

"Were too! And you _smell_!"

"You're lucky it's just sweat," Jake said.

"Ever heard of a bath?"

"Children."

Jake snapped his jaw shut and his grandfather's simple word, glad that Lao Shi had said _children _and not _Jacob_. He tried not to gloat too much that Haley had been caught too because Gramps would, somehow, notice that too and he'd end up running double drills for the rest of his natural life. Which, he absolutely couldn't do if he had to wake up to have breakfast with Rose. A jet of flame darted out between his lips as he became distracted by the thought of her. One of the servants behind him immediately had water thrown onto the table.

He cast his eyes around the room but Rose, of course, was not there. She was a maid, not a personal servant, and wouldn't be required. He half-turned his head to watch Trixie and Jake, positioned just behind Haley and he. Spud caught his eye and then he gestured Trixie to him. Jake watched her eyes go wide with shock at his utter stupidity and then she glared at him in a way that Jake knew that he was going to get an earful later. He snapped his head back around to his grandfather. He could already feel Trixie's fist going into his human arm but he didn't even mind that. He had friends instead of servants and he was glad that he hadn't lost them as he had grown into his princely title.

Dinner finished with a round of dessert. Despite his grandfather's look, Jake dove right in. His body was hard as a rock – he couldn't get any more fit! – and Jake didn't believe in a training diet to begin with. Part of the old man's magic and fancies, he was sure. Finally, they dispersed, Trixie trailing Haley, Spud trailing Jake, and Fu Dog shuffling along after Lao Shi.

"Trixie's not happy with you."

Spud shut Jake's bedroom door securely behind him and Jake transformed back.

"I whacked my wing," Jake complained. "My shoulder hurts."

"Do you need me to call a masseuse?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Jake said.

The door cracked open and Trixie was inside. She hit Jake, hard and he didn't even bother to try and defend himself.

"What is wrong with you?!"

"Nothing!"

"_I'm a servant to the prince, I'm human, I'm going to chat up every girl I see like an idiot,_" Trixie spewed.

"Jake doesn't sound like that."

Trixie glared at Spud to and Spud settled into the chair by Jake's window.

"Trixie, it's harmless –"

She shook her head at him. "You don't think! And you want me to lie for you? _And _spy for you?"

"Well, are we friends or not?"

Trixie crossed her arms, her dark brown eyes turning almost black with anger.

"Jake thinks she's hot."

Trixie's glare shifted over to Spud. "And do you think she's hot?"

Spud shrugged. "You've seen her. I think you think she's hot."

Trixie spluttered. "Jake, how do you think it's going to end?"

"Who cares?" Jake asked. "We're fighting a war, Trix. We might wake up and the whole of the Huntsclan army might be on the grounds! Who cares if I have breakfast with a pretty girl?"

"Breakfast!? _Jake_!"

"Funny," Jake said to Trixie. "You sounded just like Gramps there."

"Do you think this is a good idea?" she asked him.

"No. But, that's never stopped me." Jake grinned. "Trixie, please, will you talk to her?"

"I'm not doin' this for you," Trixie said. "She came from the border and she's got no friends. She's probably traumatized to begin with."

With a snort, Trixie was out of the room again. Spud carefully shut the door.

"She only hit you once!" Spud exclaimed, giving a thumbs up.

"That's a win for me!"

(-.-)

Rose rubbed the bridge of her nose, sitting down at the servant's table just off the kitchen. They ate in shifts, to avoid overcrowding the kitchen or conflicting with the royal family's meals. She had drawn a late meal shift today and she spun the spoon around her bowl of stew. She was thinking of her bed in the servant's quarters when there was a thump across from her. Rose started – no one had spoken to her at all but for Melinda and Jake. She had seen the dark-skinned woman in the princess's chambers, following the princess around.

"Hi, I'm Trixie. I'm Princess Haley's maidservant."

"I'm Rose," she said. "I just clean."

"I heard you grew up at the border," Trixie said.

"Yeah, something like that," Rose said, feeling herself start to shut down. She didn't want to talk about her upbringing, the family she'd had, or the war. "What about you?"

"I moved into the castle when my parents died. I've made some good friends – like Spud, have you met him?"

Rose shook her head.

"And Jake. They were playmates when I started," Trixie said. "They welcomed me."

Well, she had Rose's attention.

"Jake? With the black hair?"

Trixie nodded. "Have you met him?"

"Yes. We ran into each other. He helped me out, made me feel better." Rose tapped her spoon against the bowl. "I like having the job and I'm glad that I was able to get here but –"

"It's hard," Trixie agreed. "If it helps, the job never gets easier but it does get better once you figure it all out."

"May I confess something to you?" Rose asked. "I don't have any other friends to talk to."

"I am a good friend. Really, you wouldn't believe it."

There was an edge to Trixie's voice but Rose chose not to question it. "Does the royal family …" here, Rose checked over both shoulders, "ever scare you?"

"Scare me?" Trixie asked. "No, why?"

"Well, you're human –"

"Yes."

"And they have very big teeth."

Trixie laughed. "_Teeth? _That's what you're worried about?!"

Rose squirmed, taking a bite of her stew. "No. Yes. My parents … I didn't, _exactly, _grow up on this side of the war."

Trixie's expression changed. "Oh. So, you believe … ?"

"That they were wrong," Rose said firmly. "But it's easier to believe it than to be comfortable living in it. I wasn't a warrior. I grew up in a very human and dragons are big. Like … really big."

"They've never eaten anyone," Trixie said. "So, you can relax about that."

"You've grown up around here, you're probably used to it, but it's a culture shock. I'm a little glad that I don't work directly with any of them. Does that make me sound awful?"

"You sound like you're adjusting," Trixie said. "I can't imagine what it was like living in the middle of it."

Rose looked down at her hand. "I wasn't a fighter but I am good nurse. I had to help put a lot of people back together."

"I guess it's different, being out there than being here," Trixie said. "I never really thought about it which I guess sounds like a luxury."

Rose shrugged. "I don't want to talk about it, if I'm being honest. Thank you for sitting with me but I have to go to bed. The day starts early. I hope we'll talk again."

"I think we will," Trixie said.

Rose hurried away, to the little alcove that she had been given for her bed and her little bit of belongings. She quickly changed into her bedclothes and climbed between the sheets, resting her head on the pillow. She closed her eyes and tried not to think of growing up in the middle of wars, she tried not to think of all that red on her hands through the years, she tried not to think of running away from all of that.

Of course, it was all she thought about all night long.

**I will always be in love with this fandom and I'm glad this burst of inspiration came to me. I love the idea of dragons in a modern setting but the show itself covered that so well so I wanted to do the traditional thing of dragons in a medieval setting.**

**This story will be eight chapters long and new chapters will come out every Friday.**

**~TLL~**


	2. Chapter 2

Rose sat in the back corner of the servant's eating area, forcing her spoon to go from bowl to mouth and trying not to fall asleep in the process of it.

"Rose, hey."

Jake's voice crashed over her and Rose felt a little more awake.

"Morning."

Jake stretched his arms over his head. "I am exhausted. I couldn't get comfortable last night."

"Me either," Rose agreed. "You know, I talked to your friend Trixie last night."

"And you haven't run away screaming."

"Why?" Rose asked. "Are you scared of Trixie?"

"Oh, absolutely," Jake said with a nod. "She's got a mean right hook and she's not afraid to use it."

And use it she did – from everyone from Spud to, Jake's utter delight, Haley, when she refused to brush her teeth. The only person that Trixie showed restraint around was Lao Shi, who seemed more amused than anything by the quips that sometimes escaped her in his presence.

"I don't even think you're joking."

"I wouldn't lie to you."

"Not even if it was a really big secret?" she asked.

"Well, if the fate of my country depended on it, perhaps." Jake grinned wildly and she smiled back.

"Well, I suppose I'd understand in that case," she said.

Jake tried not to breathe a sigh of relief, though it was silly. He wasn't really as dumb as Trixie thought he was and he wasn't about to tell Rose his secrets but he did want her to trust him. He wouldn't lie to her if he had a choice about it. And Jake could sense that there was some kind of wall up around her; he didn't want to get shut out of it.

"What about you?" Jake asked. "Would you trust me with your secrets?"

Rose jutted her chin out. "Eventually."

"I'll take it."

Rose glanced at him. "Don't you want any breakfast?"

"Huh? No. Uh … perk of being a manservant is that I get some of the same food he gets."

"Then why did you ask me to breakfast?"

"Couldn't think of a better time to see you."

"Well," Rose said, "you can think of something more interesting for next time."

"Next time?"

"Rather than a meal you don't eat."

"Fair enough. I get Sunday evenings off. What about you?"

"I as well," Rose said.

"Will you spend Sunday evening with me?"

"All right," Rose agreed. "Sunday. But, I have to start work and you're probably needed."

"Probably," Jake said. "But, you know, the prince is lazier than anyone gives him credit for. He might not even be awake yet."

"Best you go and find out."

They left the room together and that was when Spud flailed down the stairs, bumping into the two of them.

"Jake?" he squinted. "Why are you down here?"

"Spud, have you met Rose?"

Spud blearily turned to look at Rose and then at Jake.

"Right, right. I'll meet you upstairs after," Spud said. "Hi, Rose, we'll talk when I'm awake."

He headed off and Jake and Rose ascended the steps.

"Why is he called Spud?"

"Presumably they found him in the royal potato patch butt-naked as an infant."

Rose stopped and half-turned toward him. "You're kidding!"

"Yeah, I am. He used to eat raw potatoes like apples."

Rose laughed.

"Actually, his last name is Spudinski. Which is less interesting."

"You're right," Rose agreed. "I liked the other two better."

They paused at the top of the steps; she would go one way toward Haley and he was supposed to go the other way, toward his own chambers.

"I liked breakfast with you."

"You didn't eat anything."

Jake shrugged. "I'll see you Sunday."

"Probably between then … Although, if you could not run me over next time."

Jake smirked. "I'll do my best."

She gave a little wave and they went their separate ways but Jake's heart was hammering and a grin was spreading stupidly across his face.

His good mood lasted until he reported to his grandfather's study to see his mother's face in Fu's crystal orb.

"Ah, Jake," Gramps said. "You're late."

"I didn't know we had a meeting time."

Gramps's eyes slowly took in Jake' s human form and Jake sighed, transforming into a dragon.

"Your mother is just giving us reports from the most recent skirmishes."

"Where's Dad?"

"In the medic tent. Working," she clarified quickly, because it was always a question when it came to Jake's father. "Something's changed. Our spies in the Huntsclan's camp can't _quite _figure it out but, apparently, something has gone missing."

"What kind of something?"

Susan shook her massive dragon's head, the light dappling off her pale green scales. "We don't know. It's being kept hush hush but it was important. Theron is desperate to get it back."

"We must find out what it is and find it first," Lao Shi said.

"We're trying but we don't have any spies in the inner circle and that's where this thing is being kept. But, they're trying to push past us more fervently than they were before. Our assumptions are that they think _we _have it – possibly we've transported it back to the castle."

"Even for us, it's still a journey of several days from the front to the castle," Lao Shi said. "How long has this thing been missing?"

"We don't know. We first got reports of it two days ago. We'll keep you updated. Also, we lost the leprechaun village but managed to maintain our control of the river by transporting some of the mermaids to fresh water. They're not as fond of it but they're glad to have the Huntsclan out of their waters. But, we had some causalities and a lot more injuries in getting the mermaids in."

"Is there anything that we can do?"

"I want your opinion on the placement of our -"

Jake tuned her out, once she started talking about the placement of centaurs over the placement of the trolls, the talk of human recruitment, the flood of refugees. He knew that he should listen and that it was his _job _to listen but Jake had never wanted this kind of job. He didn't think it was fair that he was just expected to do all of this when there were people who would have gladly volunteered and done better. Jake had never been in a real battle before, left to train with his aging grandfather, trying to get him into peak condition before he was sent into the fray. Jake wasn't looking forward to that time. He had seen enough of his parents' reports to know that it wasn't a joke and people really were dying and he should do his best to help. He just didn't know what that was.

"Jake, are you listening?"

"Yes," Jake lied.

"I love you, Jake," Susan said. "Tell Haley I love her too."

"You too. I will. Bye, Mom."

The orb turned into just an orb and Lao Shi turned to Jake with narrow, knowing eyes.

"I set up camps again," Lao Shi said. "Go, find them. Do not return to this castle until you do."

Jake groaned and took off through the window.

(-.-)

Rose moved very carefully and slowly, adjusting the bedclothes along the princess's bed. For the first time, the princess was in her room while Rose was cleaning it, Trixie behind her. The dragon had the voice of a child but her dragon's body was muscled and bulky. And Rose feared her. She knew she shouldn't. She had been raised to know how to take care of herself, though great pains were taken to ensure she never had to. Those were the things she didn't want to think about while making up Haley's bed. She had told herself over and over again on her trip here that she wouldn't be afraid upon arriving. While her disillusionment with what the Huntsclan was fighting for her propelled her flight, Rose had been naïve about how her upbringing would affect her comfort level once she was actually here.

"Mom's not happy about it," Haley was saying, "but Gramps is going to start training me too. There's no reason I can't learn defence. Unless he wants me to train with Jake."

Fire spurted from her mouth and Rose nearly leapt out of her shoes. Trixie calmly put out the smoldering rug and caught Rose's eye with a smirk.

"You know how annoying he is if we do anything together! He'd get all stupid trying to make _me _look stupid."

"Jake has a knack for looking stupid," Trixie grumbled while Haley laughed.

Rose nearly dropped her duster. The elected master of the Huntsclan, Theron, would have had someone drawn and quartered if he'd heard them mocking him or any of the captains in such a manner. She couldn't imagine a subordinate speaking like that. Though, it seemed to please Haley. Maybe that was the point.

Rose wondered if there would ever be a time in the castle when she felt like she had her feet under her.

It didn't happen over the next few days, though Rose did begin to feel more at home. She and Trixie began to eat dinner together every night and they bemoaned their tired feet and Trixie told her tidbits of castle gossip and old scandals. It breathed a sense of familiarity into the stone walls. Rose sometimes saw Spud hurrying along the halls but she never saw Jake and, so, Trixie became her main source of conversation. Even though she didn't see Jake, he made his presence known. He had clipped a rose from the castle gardens and left it on her pillow. Rose kept it by her bed as she slept, inspiring better dreams than the ones of the home she'd left behind.

On Sunday night, Jake found her as she was leaving Haley's quarters.

"All done?"

"Yes. Are you?"

She hoped his response was that he was _almost _done. She'd been working all day and had been expecting to brush her hair and wash her face and hands before meeting him.

"Yes."

Jake smiled at her and offered her his arm. Rose felt her exhaustion give way to excitement and nerves as she placed her hand on Jake's muscular forearm.

"Come on. I've got somewhere to show you."

Rose felt like a lady as he escorted her through the halls. She even forgot how she hated to wear dresses and how the one she had on was particularly dirty.

"How was your week?"

"Melinda was right. Dragons _do _make a mess. Though I don't really even see any of them!"

Jake led Rose out a side door.

"Then, how do you know it's the dragons?"

"Well, who else would it be?"

"There are a lot of people in the castle."

"With scales?"

"You're not that familiar with magic folk, are you, Rose?"

"No," Rose admitted as they crossed the lawn. "Where are we going?"

"Do you like flowers?"

"You're asking me this after you left me a rose?"

"I'm an obvious person," Jake admitted.

Rose rather liked that about him, though it made her a little reckless feeling around him. Just because he was a trustworthy person didn't mean that she _should _trust him.

"I like flowers. And I really liked the rose."

"I'm busy," Jake said, "but I wanted you to know that I was thinking about you."

Rose had been thinking about him too but she didn't quite want to admit it. Her whole world was unfamiliar territory and she had never so much as held anyone's hand.

Jake hoisted a branch of a flowering tree. "Go straight ahead."

Rose went forward hesitantly, ducking underneath of branches. Was there supposed to be something ahead? Except for branches that wrapped around her skirts and Rose wished for pants until she found what Jake had wanted to show her: a clearing, in the middle of the orchard of trees. There was a blanket on the thick green grass and Rose knew that he had set it up for her. She turned in the perfumed grove, thinking it was probably the most peaceful spot that she had ever stood in.

"This is where I come to hide," Jake said, "and I thought you'd enjoy it."

"I do," Rose said, reaching up to run her hands across one of the rough branches. "We didn't have trees like this where I grew up. My father said that wizards enchanted the grounds so that nothing would grow, in hopes that … Well, you know what happens when you can't get food."

"That's no way to grow up."

Rose could hear the pity in Jake's words. She didn't know how to explain to someone who had been raised in a castle – albeit as a servant – that it wasn't all bad. So, she stayed quiet until he spoke again.

"Where are you parents now?"

"Dead." Rose turned around to face him and he was sitting on the blanket. Slowly, she lowered herself down next to him. "It's why I finally left the camp. I hadn't agreed with what the Huntsclan was fighting for in a long time but I had felt tied there. What about your parents?"

"They're both still alive. They're soldiers, fighting in the wars." Jake shrugged. "Sometimes, I think about what it would be like to join them. Sometimes, I wonder what the point is. Humans made the decision a long time ago to not settle in villages with magic folk. If they had wanted more trade or mutual settlements, I'm sure the king would have considered it. After all, we've welcomed humans within our lands, even if the reverse wasn't true and we've been taking in refugees since the wars started."

"Perhaps. We can't know that he did consider it. We can't know that the Huntsclan even asked. But, it runs deeper than just that, you know? The humans that support the Huntsclan don't want a monarchy, particularly one headed by magical creatures. It's not about trades. It's about fear. The fear that magical creatures could hurt us so much more easily than we could hurt them. Look at the barren ground I told you about. Many people were deprived of crops off a simple act from a wizard. That's why the Huntsclan still has support." Rose sighed. "But, a few years ago, I started thinking: people can hurt each other too. We could burn someone's crops to the ground, force whole villages into starvation. Magical creatures have a king, homes, children. They're not animals who prowl the woods. They _choose _to hurt us, which means they can _choose _not to: the same choice humans face. I just think … well, maybe, I'm oversimplifying things. But maybe they simplified it when they declared war on one another too. Am I making sense?"

Jake hadn't taken his dark eyes from her face and Rose felt exposed as he watched her.

"I think it makes a lot of sense. I can't stand the thought of actually hurting someone else. I know what war is in theory but to actually do it something different."

"I know how to fight but I worked in the medics tent. The people that I watched die also made me run away. It made me realize that if the Huntsclan won, this wouldn't end. They want magical creatures exterminated but there's so many of them. They would fight back and who would blame them?"

"Trixie said you're scared of them."

"You would be too if you hadn't grown up around them!"

Jake laughed, his deep voice booming around the grove. "I guess that's true. I guess things become normal when you let them."

"I'm still adjusting," Rose admitted. "Perhaps it would be easier if I saw more of them. Most of the serving staff are human – why is that?"

"Quite a few of them were displaced at the beginning of the war. With some of the others, they were already employed. We've never shut out humans the way humans shut us out." Jake shrugged. "Don't you see the princess at all?"

"Rarely. More than I see the other dragons. It's strange, I think I see the king more than I see the prince."

Jake shrugged again, rubbing at his black hair. "Spud is more his keeper than I am. Also, look what I brought."

From under the trees, he produced a basket that was filled with soft breads, meats, along with wine for drink.

"You thought of everything," Rose said.

"I tried to. I was looking forward to tonight."

"Me too." The admission didn't even get stuck in her throat as she thought it was going to. She wasn't in a cage here. She could make friends, say what was on her mind, do anything but wear pants like she was used to.

"So," Rose asked, "you mean to tell me you've never been scared of a magical creature?"

Jake considered her question carefully, building himself a small sandwich. "The king, I suppose, and his daughter. Spud, Trixie, and I were … mischievous when we were younger."

"I'm sure that's one word for it."

Jake smirked. "What? You never got in trouble as a kid?"

"No! I was a good child!"

"I don't know if I believe that."

They ate and drank and talked, even as the sun began to go down in the grove. They moved closer on the blanket as it got darker, to be able to see one another in the dark. They finished the food and shared the bottle of wine between the two of them. They spoke of their childhoods, Jake regaling her with several stories about the things he and his friends had gotten up to. Rose tried to think of lighthearted things of her own to share but she didn't have anything to talk about but her memories of her mother. She thought those would hurt more to share or, perhaps, Jake was just the right person to share the memories with. He watched her with no less than rapt attention.

"Should we go in?" Rose asked, when the sky was nearly an even blanket of ink. It was a warm night, summer was definitely on its way to the land, and she could have been content to lay there sharing with him all night, even if it became cold. She was kicking herself for asking him to go in at all.

"If you want," Jake said. "I want to do something like this with you again."

"Me too."

She could see him smile. She almost didn't make herself sit up. She almost just stayed there. But then he pushed himself up and Rose followed suit. She reached out to help him fold the blanket but he handled it.

"I think you work harder than I do," Jake said, with that little smirk on his face that was already so familiar to her. "Let me do this for you."

"Thank you."

He settled the blanket in the basket and hooked it over one arm. Rose stood to his side, wondering if she should reach out and take his arm like she had earlier – and like she wanted to do now.

"Rose, one more thing."

"What?"

"I'd like to kiss you."

He was standing close to her but not as in her space as he had been when they were lying side by side. He was giving her more than enough room to run away from him but Rose found herself stepping closer to him.

"I've never kissed anyone before," she admitted.

"Me either."

Rose brows lifted in surprise. "Are you just telling me that to make me feel better?"

"I don't think lying about this would benefit the fate of my country in any way."

Rose took another step toward him. Now, she couldn't get any closer to him unless they became the same person. "You should lie to me about one other thing, I think."

"What's that?"

"If I'm bad at kissing."

"If you'll lie to me about the same thing."

Rose nodded and Jake's hand touched her waist. His head dipped toward hers and Rose found herself lifting onto the tips of her toes to meet him halfway. Her heart was fluttering in her chest but she was hardly nervous; she _wanted _to kiss him too. Her hand wrapped tightly around his upper arm as their lips met. Rose felt flushed all over, the warmth spreading through the tips of her fingers and toes. Jake's lips moved confidently against hers and Rose clung to him. How could anything be sweeter or more soul-fulfilling than having a first kiss with Jake, in a flower-perfume filled grove on the castle grounds?

He kissed her once more softly and then he offered her his arm. Rose took it, realizing for the first time in her life that one could feel off-balanced in a good way and also the most grounded they had ever felt in their lives, all from the same event.

"I don't think you're bad at kissing," Jake said.

"I don't think you are either."

He met her gaze in the torchlight just inside the castle doors, mirth brimming in his eyes.

"I'll see you soon, Jake," Rose promised as she turned toward the servant's stairs that would take her to the women's quarters.

"You too, Rose."

Rose felt like she was floating on clouds and she barely noticed Trixie until the other girl snapped her fingers in front of Rose's face.

"Are you in there, Rose?"

"Oh, sorry!"

"Did you eat? I didn't see you at dinner."

"Oh." Rose bit her lip. She hadn't told Trixie about her plans to spend the evening with Jake, but the two of them often talked of being close. She had just presumed Jake would tell her. "I spent the evening with Jake. He brought dinner and we talked all evening. I had my first kiss with him."

"Really?"

Rose nodded, glad that she had someone that she could share this with. "It felt like magic, Trixie. The closest that I'll ever get to know what that really feels like, anyhow."

"You like him a lot, then?"

"I think so. I haven't spent a lot of time with him but the more time I spend with him, the more I find myself enjoying it. I've met a lot of people in my life but I've never met anyone who makes me feel like this. And, it's all good things. We talked about bad things and heavy things and, somehow, it all felt less scary when I was talking about it with him."

"That's great, Rose. I'll hear all about it at dinner tomorrow, okay? I was on my way back up – I just wanted to make sure you'd eaten."

Rose agreed and continued to her little room. The rose that Jake had picked her was beginning to wilt but she smiled at it as though it were brand new as she readied herself for bed. When she finally lay down, the scent from the rose reminded her of the grove and she pressed her fingers to her lips with remembrance. She hoped she saw Jake tomorrow, if only for a moment.

(-.-)

"What time is wake up?" Jake asked, pulling off his day clothes which Spud immediately gathered for laundry and dressing in his night ones.

"Remember, I'm not to blame for this."

Jake groaned, sitting on the end of his bed. "Is he mad at me for skipping dinner?"

"Probably but who knows what he's thinking."

Jake could take a good guess but he wouldn't have given up his evening with Rose for anything.

"I'll be in to get you at four-thirty," Spud said.

Jake groaned and collapsed backward.

"And, he told me not to tell you this, but you're going to be insufferable if I don't –"

"Thanks."

"I spent the better part of today polishing your armour."

Jake rolled over so that he was face down on the bed. As a dragon, armour _might _seem redundant. Except, Gramps had enchanted armour commissioned for he and Haley, one that could change shape with them. A dragon might be well protected but if Jake ever reverted to his human form, he would be an easy target. Not that Jake was ever _supposed _to reveal his human form but he'd never been knocked unconscious in a fight. It could happen. He wasn't sure which form would take dominance, if one ever did.

"It's fine," Jake said to the mattress, even though it wasn't, _really_. The next part was honest, "It was worth it."

"You were gone a while," Spud said.

"And, I'm going to do it again."

Spud chuckled. The door to Jake's room was pushed open.

"Jake, are you insane?!"

Jake pushed himself up on his bed. "Trix, I'm in pyjamas."

"Not naked and I still don't know if I'd care if you were." Trixie sat on the trunk at the end of Jake's bed. "I just talked to Rose."

"Okay? So?"

"Are you out of your mind? She's a _human _girl, who's scared of magic! She likes you and how do you think this is going to end? Is that fair to her?"

"Did she tell you she likes me?" Jake asked, sitting up and cocking a grin that quickly faded once he saw the look on Trixie's face. "Don't look at me like that. I'm not tricking her or anything."

"Anybody Jake's going to be with would have to wait to find out the secret," Spud added. "It's not something that he can just blurt out on the first date. It was a date, right?"

"Yes. I mean, I meant for it to be."

"You're a prince," Trixie cut in, "she's a commoner."

"So's my dad," Jake said. "Gramps clearly doesn't care. _And _I hardly think anything I can get into with Rose is going to top my parents."

"Your mom wasn't keeping secrets," Trixie said. "And, your dad isn't anything like Rose."

Jake grinned. "You know what, I think this is sweet. You're not just concerned about me. You and Rose are friends too."

"I think you're right," Spud said.

Trixie rolled her eyes. "Does it matter? Rose is _scared_ of any kind of magic, let alone dragons! I don't know, Jake, I've been talking to her every day and I think there's something she's hiding."

"Are you saying she's a spy?"

"No," Trixie said. "I just think a lot has happened to her. I just worry about the both of you."

Jake glanced at Spud but Spud wouldn't catch his eye in return. He thought of the things Rose had told him, about the medics tents, the lack of food, and the perpetually injured. Jake had never been in the thick of combat but he had read every report that was sent back to his grandfather and had seen the wreckage that his mother had shown them through the crystal ball. He couldn't imagine what it was like growing up in a place like that. He could believe that something more had happened to Rose than she had wanted to talk about it and he couldn't blame her for not talking about it.

"She'll tell me when she's ready," Jake said. "I'm not worried."

"That's why you have smarter friends," Trixie snorted and she stood. "I'll leave you to your own dumb devices."

"Love you too, Trix."

She paused in the doorway. "Oh, Spud, Jake's escorting Haley to the Unity Ball so we need to coordinate colours there. We need to do that tomorrow before the seamstress gets overwhelmed."

"The what?" Jake asked when Trixie had left the room. "Colour coordination? There's a _war_."

"And that's the point," Spud said, turning down Jake's bedcovers pointedly. "Delegates from all the species have been invited. It's for you to interact with people, let them know you're on their side."

Jake crawled into bed. "Don't let them put me in pink, Spud."

"I'll do my best. Night, Jake."

"Night."

Spud dimmed the lamps around the room and then left. Jake knew that he should try to fall asleep immediately. It was late and he was going to have to rise before the sun. But, instead, he turned toward the window, replaying his night with Rose. It was a much happier thing to think about.

**Chapter two of eight! Let me know what you think!**

**~TLL~**


	3. Chapter 3

Rose gripped the sill of the hall window, willing herself not to cover her ears. She leant forward slowly, the beat of a dragon's wings becoming deafening. Her every instinct told her to flee. For all her life, the sound of a dragon signified the arrival of the royal army and that meant fire, blood, and death. The crown princess, Susan, had always led the main body of the royal army but Rose had never gotten a good look at her, just flashes of her green body in the sky, fire emanating from her as though it were her very being. Now, she was getting her first full look at a dragon in flight. Prince Jacob was sweeping by, his long lean body the dark red of fire itself. He had a peculiar shining plate over his head, along his legs, and across his underbelly. Its presence was disconcerting but only served to make him look more ferocious. Then, he opened his mouth, his white fangs as long as her forearm and fire exploded from his mouth.

Rose let out a scream despite herself and hit the ground, covering her mouth. Her legs trembled, her heart raced, and everything she had told her to run away from the castle too. Not being with the Huntsclan didn't mean that she had to be here with the royal family!

Slowly, Rose forced herself to recover her logical mind, recalling her journey to the castle. She had come here to challenge the beliefs that she had grown up with and to see for herself how the magic side lived. Dragons, like humans, couldn't just be built for killing. Even if they did seem more adept at it. They had families too, just as she had told Jake.

At the thought of Jake, she stood and wondered where he was now and if he might be able to spare a moment for her. She hurried along the corridor, realizing that she had no idea of Jake's schedule. He had said Spud was the prince's keeper. So, did that mean that Jake did the cleaning like she did? She wondered if Jake was outside with the prince and how he could possibly stand being near the fire.

She found Spud on her way to the prince's quarters. Aside from that one early morning greeting, she hadn't spoken to him at all, and, so, she was surprised when he smiled at her warmly.

"Rose, hi!"

"Hi, Spud." His arms were overflowing with fabric. "Can I help you carry anything?"

"If you wouldn't mind," Spud said, depositing several bolts of fabric in her arms. "Haley has had Trixie and I running around all day. She's determined to pick something Jake, uh, Prince Jacob, that is, will hate."

"What's this for?"

"A Unity Ball. Princess Susan thinks it will help strengthen pre-existing political ties. King Lao Shi thinks it will be a target. But what do I know? I'm just here to fetch fabric."

"You seem to know a lot," Rose said as the hurried along the halls.

Spud shrugged, nearly dislodging his armload. "I'm a secret keeper. Another part of my job."

"Speaking of jobs, do you know where Jake is? The one that's not the prince."

"With the prince. Training stuff. I don't know which one of us drew the short straw." Spud nudged a heavy wooden door open. "I'll tell him you were looking for him."

"Thanks."

Rose followed Spud into the room. Haley was seated in front of a cross old faerie, fabrics and accessories all around the two of them while Trixie looked frustrated in the corner, organizing to the best of her ability. Rose added her fabrics to Spud's pile. Haley was concentrating hard on picking her colours.

"I've never been to one of these events before! Mom always wore pink but _I _can't wear pink! _I'm _pink!"

Rose realized she wasn't needed and quietly made her exit. As she returned to her regular duties, she realized how much she'd rather be fussing over what Haley should wear – and how she would wear it. Rose didn't have the faintest idea how a dragon was to wear clothes. She tried to imagine it, coming up with ridiculous and increasingly implausible ways dragons could wear clothes but none of it could take away the sight of Prince Jacob and the onslaught of memories it brought back. The smell of burning flesh filled her nose.

"It's not real," Rose said aloud, hoping it would help.

But it had once been real and it didn't help at all.

She burst into the hall to get distance – any distance – between her and the fireplace in Haley's quarters. It was then that a large, sweaty hand touched her bicep and Rose whipped around, landing a punch squarely in Jake's abdomen.

"Jake!"

"Next time, just warn me you don't like surprises." He slid down the wall straight onto the floor. Rose knelt next to him. "Spud said you were looking for me."

"I was but not to use you as a punching dummy, I swear!"

"I believe you." Jake rubbed his hand along his sweaty forehead.

"Why are you so sweaty?"

"Pulling armour off a dragon is not as easy as it sounds."

"Oh, I don't think that sound easy at all."

Jake smirked but then he looked more serious. "You look upset and I'm willing to bet it's not about hitting me."

"Did I hurt you?" Rose asked, momentarily distracted.

"You throw a good punch but don't worry about me," Jake said. "Tell me what's on your mind."

"I … I saw Prince Jacob today and sometimes things come back. Things that are hard to get over."

Jake's hand held her own.

"I'm on my lunch break. The prince isn't expecting me for a while. Do you remember your way to the grove?"

Rose nodded.

"Head down there. I'll meet you soon with some food, okay? And you can tell me all about it."

Rose nodded, feeling relieving and thinking that it sounded like what she needed. She stood and helped Jake to his feet. He parted and Rose took her time, making her way across the expanse of greenery. Once she was outside, on the opposite side of the castle where she had seen Prince Jacob, she felt like she could breathe a little easier. And when she parted the trees to find the small oasis Jake had shown her, she felt like she was in another world entirely. Though the branches around her were thin, she felt closed in protected, the little bit of sky above her there to simply remind her that the outside world did still exist. She sat on the grass and was glad that Jake joined her quickly, balancing their food in the same basket he had brought before.

He sat close to her, their legs lying next to one another. Rose shifted even closer so that their shoulders were together. Jake put one arm around her and Rose leant into him. How lucky she was that he understood her.

"What did you see of Prince Jacob today?"

"My father," Rose said, the words becoming stuck in her throat, "was a captain in the Huntsclan's army. He was good at his job and, because of that, things could get dangerous. I'm terrified of being here because I know how destructive dragons can get. But I know that's not all there is to them. There _can't_ be but looking at that fire today, even though the prince wasn't burning anything but practice dummies, I was still scared. I've watched it burn too many times. Tried to help the people it burnt and failed. There was a time I was nearly caught in it myself. I don't know how to get rid of memories like that."

She felt as though she were relating the details of someone else's life.

"I think you're brave to try, after all of that, to see the better side of the things."

"I don't know if I can see the better side of things and I worry about what kind of person that makes me if I just can't stop seeing them like that. I want to be a better person."

"I think the fact that you're willing to try as hard as you are means something," Jake said. "It sounds like you went through a lot – more than I think I'll ever understand – and no one gets over that in a day or even two."

"I suppose." She put her head down against his shoulder. "What's the prince like? Maybe that will help. I know what Princess Haley is like and she doesn't scare me as much anymore."

"Oh, um," Jake ran a hand through his hair. "Impatient, mostly. Doesn't think things through as much as he should. He likes to bother Haley – he's old enough that spontaneous fire doesn't happen with him – but it does always happen whenever he's near her or her things. He doesn't like to get out of bed for breakfast. Is that the kind of thing you mean?"

"Yes," Rose said. "I suppose it is. Is he nice, though?"

"I think so," Jake said. "Spud would agree with me."

Rose smoothed a hand over her skirts. "I have another question for you."

"Ask me anything you want," Jake said, "but eat a little something too. We'll have to return before we know it and I don't want you to go hungry."

"How do dragons wear clothing? Princess Haley was looking at fabrics for the Unity Ball and I just wondered."

"A cloak, usually, fastened at their chests with a heavy decorative chain. Sometimes a hat, depending. An event like this, they'll probably break out the crowns. Which, wizards have to enchant to stay on their heads. It's all just as ridiculous as it sounds."

"I was kind of hoping it would be. Does that make me a bad person?"

"No," Jake promised her. He kissed her forehead.

"I was talking with Trixie the other night," Rose continued, feeling the need to chat at him.

"Uh oh?"

"Why uh oh?"

Rose studied his face, his hair was still damp with the workout he'd endured earlier, but his brown eyes awake and lively. He had unbuttoned the red jacket he normally wore and there was a plain white top underneath. She could see the dip in his collarbone, leading to what she knew was a muscular chest.

"She's like my sister," Jake said, "so it's an 'uh oh'."

"No, she mentioned that you know self-defence from training with the prince."

"A little," Jake said, starting to sound suspicious.

"I used to practice all the time. I'm not naïve enough to think that anywhere is safe and I don't want to get rusty."

"Are you asking me to _fight _you?"

"You said I threw a good punch," Rose said, smiling. "If you don't have time –"

Jake dismissed her concerns with a wave of his hand. "We'll find time. I want you to feel safe. And, also, I want to see what else they teach their medics to do over there."

Rose laughed. "No, my father was a captain, I told you. He wanted me to take care of myself."

"Tomorrow evening," Jake said, "after dinner. No one uses the training area after that."

"Thank you."

Jake's lips grazed her forehead again. Rose tilted her head back until he was kissing her lips. She slid her hands through his hair, letting him pull her closer until she felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest and her head was swimming from the feel of him. She clung to his arms.

"I wish we didn't have to go back inside."

"Want to run away?" Jake asked and she couldn't tell if he was joking or not until he cracked a grin. "Probably not a good second date idea, huh?"

"No. Minimum of ten dates before we drop our lives and run away from our responsibilities."

And Rose had already done it once. She didn't like the thought of having to do it again any time soon. Even with her terror. Now that she had calmed down, Rose knew she was better off here than anywhere else.

"Sounds responsible. Why run off with someone you don't know?"

"I feel like I know you," Rose said. "Maybe not all the way yet but I like being around you."

"Me too." Jake helped her to her feet but held onto her hand. "I really like you. I just want to make sure you knew that."

Rose felt a smile spread across her face. "I feel the same way."

He squeezed her hand. "See you tomorrow night?"

Rose nodded. He held her hand all the way back to the castle and kissed her once more before she went back to work.

(-.-)

It took Jake longer than he wanted to admit to open up the training grounds. Usually it was fully prepared by the time he arrived with Gramps and Fu, having been used by the guards in the earlier hours. Finally, he was ready for when Rose walked in, looking very different than she normally did. She had her long blonde hair tied back in a severe braid and, instead of the dress he expected, was in a dark shirt and pants.

"What?" she asked. "I can't exactly fight you in a dress."

Jake didn't know if that was, necessarily, true.

"And, I can't imagine you've never seen legs before."

Not Rose's legs and that made a difference to Jake. He wasn't even seeing her legs themselves, just the form of them under the pants. It was more of her than he'd seen before.

Rose stopped a short distance before him. "Do you usually fight with weapons or hand to hand combat?"

"I'm trained in both but I'm better hand to hand," Jake said.

"Stop me if I hurt you."

"Stop me if I hurt you," Jake echoed. "I won't hold anything you do in training against you. Even if you punch me in the face."

"I promise it'll be an accident," Rose teased. "Ready?"

"Ready?"

Except, Jake wasn't prepared for the way that she flew at him and was suddenly just _there_. It was all he could do to get his hands up and go on the defensive. Whatever fighting style she had learnt, he was not familiar with it. She moved faster than he expected and never let up. Jake blocked and tried to return the favour but she was moving him about the field at her leisure. He stopped a blow to his abdomen and nearly knocked her off balance. Rose quickly recovered and bounced on the balls of her feet. For a moment, they sized up one another and Jake realized he was analyzing the fight as though her were in his dragon form. That wasn't going to help him now; he had no tail to knock her off her feet with. Rose took advantage of his hesitation and lunged at him again. She got too close to him and Jake grabbed her, pulling her back to his front, wrapping her in a bear hug.

Rose laughed instead of fighting back. "This isn't what someone in a real fight would do."

"Probably not," Jake agreed. "Fight back when you want to."

Jake rested his chin on top of Rose's head. She slid her hands free only take his hands in her own. For a moment, they just breathed, calming down from the flurry of exertion. Rose then turned in Jake's grasp and kissed him. Then, she toppled him over.

"Easiest win I've ever had," Rose said smugly.

"That's not fair."

"You said fight back when I want to."

"You're only winning because you're fighting a human."

Rose's eyebrows raised. "I don't really _want _to fight anyone but if I had to, I'm on this side. I'd be fighting a human. But, in theory, I do actually know how to fight magical creatures. It's, just, they're very different up close. Dragons are so big!"

Jake stood. "How would you fight a dragon? They're not going to attack you, you know, but you might feel more confident if you thought you could defend yourself."

Rose stared at him with her big blue eyes and, then, she closed the distance between them.

"If you were a dragon, you would be covered in hard scales. Not entirely impervious to human weapons but hard to get a good strike on with one and its quite impossible to harm the scales with kicks or hits." Rose moved her hand from the top of his shoulder and walked her fingers down his chest. "Your underbelly would be much more open to attack. The scales more malleable, leaving your organs vulnerable to human weapons or even a good swift hit or kick." Rose frowned, taking her hand from Jake's lower abdomen to his cheek and then to his temple, moving her hand as though she was tucking non-existent hair behind his ear. "Of course, if you were a dragon and I wanted to kill you, just behind the left ear is the spot I would need to aim for."

Goosebumps raised over Jake's entire body and he felt breathless, not just from the way Rose was touching him. She was right about his ear. Even as a human, the spot was so sensitive that that Rose's gentle caress made him feel like someone was walking on his grave.

"But," Rose said, dropping her hands so that they were splayed against his chest, "I don't want to fight a dragon."

"I should think they'd be afraid of you."

Rose shook her head, wisps escaping from her braid. "You know I'm scared of them."

Jake squeezed his hand against her waist. "You shouldn't be. They won't hurt you."

"How do you know?"

"Trust me."

"I do."

"Have you ever fought with a sword?"

Rose laughed. "Hand me one and you'll find out."

Jake reluctantly let go of her to fetch two practice swords off the wall and handed one to her.

He intended to find out everything about Rose.

**Sorry about this being a day late. My work schedule was changed so yesterday was upside down for me.**

**~TLL~**


	4. Chapter 4

Rose woke up the next morning, her body feeling bruised from sparring and her lips feeling bruised from kissing and she felt altogether exhilarated at the thought of Jake. She turned over on her little cot and her smile only grew. There, on the pillow next to her, there was a rose and there was only one person who could have left it for her. Rose sat up and replaced the wilting bud he had gifted her before with the new one. She left for breakfast, feeling like she was floating on air.

Something that Trixie noticed the moment she sat down across from Rose with her own breakfast.

"You look like you woke up on the right side of the bed," Trixie said.

Trixie never seemed to wake up on the right side of the bed, Rose had noticed. She was always a little grumpy until late morning but she did better than Spud who didn't quite seem to wake up at all until afternoon.

"I did. Although, it might be that I'm overtired. I didn't sleep until late last night."

"Something keeping you up?"

"I spent the night with Jake."

Trixie choked on her morning porridge. "You _what_?"

"Oh, not like that!" Rose exclaimed, her cheeks feeling heated. "We were just spending time together. I mean, there was some kissing but it wasn't anything other than that. We just talked. That sort of thing, mostly."

Trixie was still staring at her. "He likes you a lot, you know."

"He told me," Rose said, "and I like him too."

"Just … be careful," Trixie said. "I've known Jake a long time and I don't want to see him get hurt. And we're friends now too. I don't want to see you get hurt either."

"What am I supposed to be getting hurt _by_?" Rose asked. "Do you know something I don't?"

"Probably. You probably know things that I don't. I just think there's always the possibility of something going wrong –"

"Trixie, I grew up in a war zone. It wasn't all bad but it was never really good, either. I am _happy_. He makes me _happy_. If there's something I need to know, then, please, tell me."

Trixie stared at her for a long moment and Rose wondered if she was on the verge of finding out something dark and terrible. Instead, Trixie just shook her head.

"I'm just being protective of my friends."

"Thank you for that," Rose said and she meant it sincerely. She had a friend here! Her own age! Before now, Rose's only friend had been her mother.

"And you can come talk to me about anything," Trixie added. "I'm not above giving that boy a good whack upside the head when he needs it."

"Thank you, Trixie."

Spud fell into the seat next to Trixie. "You need to check my list because I definitely forgot something and we have a _problem_," Spud stressed. "But, not a problem." Spud flapped his hands at his sides.

"Great. What now?" Trixie said and then she sighed. "But I'll check your packing if you check mine when we go up."

"Packing? For what?" Rose asked.

"Oh, the ball is being held at a different castle, just in case," Trixie said. "A long day of travel for the rest of us but a short flight for the dragons. This castle is the most easily defended and it's also not the biggest castle. The one the ball is being held at used to be the main residence. It can house all of the guests more comfortably."

"Oh."

"So, the prince needs things – so many things." Spud groaned and his head hit the table.

"Eat your breakfast, we'll coordinate later." Trixie patted him on the back. "I have to go make sure Haley's awake. She almost missed her lessons yesterday morning."

Trixie shuffled off and Rose was left alone with Spud. She wondered if Spud was going to give her the same kind of lecture that Trixie had, though Spud didn't really seem the type. Instead, Spud teased her.

"So, Jake came in late last night …"

"Oh, did he wake you?"

"Only to tell me not to keep him up. Fell asleep. Had a nice bruise on his eye this morning, though, so, good job."

"I bruised his face?"

"Impressively," Spud said. "Don't worry about it. He's tough. And I think it's funny and it's really my opinion that matters here."

Rose smiled. "If you say so. I _am _sorry about it."

"Rose! Melinda's looking for you!"

"I'll talk to you later, Spud."

Rose put her dishes away and then went to find Melinda, who was coordinating the cleaners for the day.

"Rose," Melinda said, "you're being asked to travel with Princess Haley for the unity ball. Miss Cahill is making arrangements. You're to be ready to leave on Thursday night."

"Yes, ma'am."

Rose was dismissed and she tripped over her skirts on the way up the stairs to Haley's room. She was going to the Unity Ball – as a maid, but she was still going to be in a castle with even less humans than there were now and even more types of magical creatures! Jake _had _to be accompanying the prince, didn't he? She didn't know if she could make it through without knowing that he was there. It was going to be hard enough even if he was.

"Rose." Jake's voice came softly up behind her and then his hand touched her elbow. "I wasn't going to risk getting punched again."

Rose turned to face him, her eyes going to the dark circle around Jake's eye.

"Oh, Spud told me about that."

"A product of training, don't worry about it."

Rose likely would but she didn't want to run late to work.

"Listen, I've got to go but I wanted to ask – are you accompanying the prince to the Unity Ball?"

"I believe so. Why?"

"I'm going with the princess. I just wanted to make sure that you were going to be there." Rose checked over her shoulders but there was no one to see them, so she stood on her toes and quickly kissed his lips. "I'll see you later, all right?"

"Later," Jake agreed.

Rose hurried on. The princess's room was in complete disarray. The young dragon was sitting in the middle of it all while Trixie stared at the roll of parchment in her hands.

"We're only going to be gone for three days, Haley!" Trixie exclaimed. "One full day!"

"What if I need something and I don't have it?"

"Don't you trust me by now?"

Haley deflated slightly. "You know I do. I'm just nervous."

"Don't be." Trixie stepped into Haley, touching the soft black hair that stuck out from the top of her head. "You're going to do just fine."

"If my stupid brother doesn't mess everything up," Haley said. "He's up to something. Gramps is always mad at him for something, lately. Not paying attention and being tired, stuff like that. Do you know what he's doing?"

Trixie glanced at Rose. "Good morning, Rose."

"Morning," Rose said. "Princess Haley."

She gave a short curtsey.

"Oh, I didn't notice you come in," Haley said glumly. "We'll talk later, Trixie."

Rose felt distinctly left out, even though she knew that she shouldn't. Trixie's and Haley's relationship was much longer than the one she had with either of them and was very different.

"Haley, finish deciding, I have to get these trunks packed, otherwise, you're going naked."

"I mean, I'm usually _naked_," Haley said. "If you define this as 'naked'. Which, I don't. For the record."

Trixie made a non-committal noise. "Rose, everything on the bed there can go into the green trunk."

Rose obediently began packing.

"Rose, do you think this colour purple or this colour green goes better with my scales?"

"I think both look lovely."

Haley didn't seem satisfied.

"Jake is red and so he probably shouldn't wear that much green which means I should probably pick the green," Haley mused.

"Pick whatever makes you look best," Trixie said. "Jake will be more unhappy with purple."

"I _do _look better in purple."

Haley picked the purple garments.

"Rose, can you take that purple bundle there over to Spud? He'll be in the prince's quarters."

"No worries."

Rose held the bundle to her chest and walked quickly, hoping that the prince would be out already. She approached, thinking of nothing but seeing the fire come from the prince's mouth. She had hardly seen him otherwise and that one memory had imprinted on her brain more than any other sighting would have. As she approached the prince's broad door, she heard male voices carrying down the corridor. Rose wondered if she should knock and, then, finally made herself do so.

"Who's there?" Spud called.

"Rose. Trixie sent me with some things for the prince."

The door cracked open and Spud stuck his head out. "Sorry, it's not a good time."

"Here."

Spud rolled his eyes and muttered, "_Purple_? Great. Just one more thing."

He took the clothing from her and Rose realized that she was dismissed. She was sure that the prince was in his room and she took back off down the hallway. At the end of it, Rose heard the door shut and she glanced over her shoulder, wondering if it was Spud. But, no, it was Prince Jacob, so large that he filled the halls he was walking in. Rose didn't care how cowardly it was, she took off at a dead run, lifting her skirts so that she could throw out her legs and get up to full speed. He didn't give chase – Jake had been right, after all, when he said that there was no reason for them to hurt her – but Rose still didn't feel calm when she was standing in front of Haley's rooms. She knew there was no chance of explaining herself unless it was to relive her full trauma and she knew that she was in no position to do that. She forced herself to take deep breaths and feel along her face to make sure that she didn't feel too warm when she straightened her back and walked into Haley's room.

She had to be strong.

(-.-)

Jake planted his feet on the grounds of the castle, digging his claws into the earth. This was the castle that he had grown up in – surrounded by one interest or another, with it constantly brimming with new people and sights. This was the castle that he had last seen his parents in, before the war became too bad for them to make trips home. Now, he only saw them through Fu's crystal ball. He wondered if Haley remembered it at all – she had been young when they and their aging grandfather had moved to the smaller, more defendable castle. He almost asked her but then thought better of it.

The castle was bustling once more with preparations for the ball and guests pouring in. There were delegates from every magical being, wishing to show their support. Several of them bowed on their way in, though Jake wished they wouldn't. It all felt too formal and he, despite his grandfather's lessons on etiquette, was not a formal person and doubted that he would ever be.

"Come, children."

Spud, Trixie, and Fu Dog were waiting for them inside the castle doors, like good servants. They were dressed more formally than was usually asked of them. The Unity Ball was putting everyone on their best behaviour and Gramps had to show off as the powerful rulers that the dragons had always been.

Jake had to pause and acknowledge everyone who noticed him and he was glad to shut the door to his room. He went to transform into his human form.

"No," Spud said. "Lao Shi's orders. He doesn't want to risk it."

"I heard you when you said that before we left the castle. The other castle. _Rose _is here."

"I know. Trixie knows. Lao Shi probably knows because we never could get anything by him. We're both going to be in trouble if he catches you. Plus, you could get in a lot of trouble anyway. The amount of people in this place is insane. You're _going _to get caught."

"I won't get caught."

"You say that but what if Lao Shi is right? What if the Huntsclan takes advantage and sends in spies?"

"None of them are going to think that _I'm _the prince," Jake said. "Not if I'm dressed in servant's attire. You know as well as I do how servants disappear."

"Yeah," Spud said, "to people who _aren't _servants. Our staff has gotten used to seeing you and make up their own reasons because they see you so often but to actual, outside servants, you're going to stick out like a sore thumb. I'm just trying to protect you, Jake."

"Then get me a servant's jacket so I don't stick out like a sore thumb."

Spud grumbled but when to do as he was asked.

"Spud," Jake called after him, "don't tell Trixie."

Spud shut the door loudly in response but, in no time at all, he was back without Trixie trailing in his wake, a dark blue serving jacket in his hand.

"Just … promise me you'll try and fly under the radar," Spud said as Jake took on his human form. "I just don't want you to get into trouble."

"Who's going to get me in trouble?"

"Lao Shi. Fu. Anyone. You're the prince."

Jake shrugged. "I'm not next in line for the throne, _Mom _is. Even then, Gramps isn't exactly dying."

"So, that makes you not a target?"

"What are you trying to do, Spud?" Jake asked, sounding more aggressive than he should toward Spud, but that was how he felt.

"I'm worried about you! Your mom –"

Jake tried not to roll his eyes. "You were talking to my mom about this? I'm not surprised. Look, Spud, she's being a mom. You don't have to be."

"Yeah but I don't want you to die or anything."

"I'm _not_ going to die or anything."

Spud shrugged. "I'm just saying watch out. You don't know who's here."

"I will."

Jake left his room, thinking that servants never walked around idly and always moved with clear purpose. He straightened his back and pretended to look as if he had something to do. None of the nobles acknowledged him, though some of the other servants gave him small nods as they went on their own ways. Jake cast his eyes about for Rose. She might have been up to Haley's room or in the servants' quarters, getting herself settled. He was beginning to wonder if he would ever find her in a castle of this size when he spotted her and her long blonde hair heading down the hall. He called out her name, knowing how quickly she could scare.

She turned to face him, a look of relief on her face. "Just when I was getting used to the other place, here we are and I know where nothing is once again."

"You'll figure it out quickly," Jake said. "It's not that much different, just larger."

"It's a whole new castle," Rose said. "And this ball. I don't know what to do. I was hired to clean! I don't know how to act at a ball."

"You'll be invisible. Servants always are."

Rose stopped short. "Are you saying I'm invisible?"

"Not to me," Jake assured her. "Never to me."

Rose broke out in a smile. "You are too sweet, sometimes. I don't know what to say."

Jake tugged her in so that they were hiding against a wall, hidden behind a pillar. "I don't need you to say anything. I just like to see your smile."

Rose rested her hands against his chest. "I'm so glad you're here. Haley said that there was a dragon _council_? I knew there were more dragons but a whole council? Being here?"

"I doubt they'll be here," Jake said. "Not all of them. They all lead their own armies out in the field. They're strategists. That's why they're the council to the king."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"The king always has this little dog following him?"

"He's a magic dog. Brews potions, kind of a historian. He knows a lot. His name is Fu."

"Does he talk?"

"Yeah," Jake said.

"A talking dog," Rose sighed and leant against the wall. "What doesn't happen?"

"Don't worry about it." Jake rested his hands against her hips.

"Jake, I'm supposed to be with Haley."

"One more minute with me," Jake said. "I haven't seen you since I got here and I wanted you to know that I was here."

"Trixie said it's going to be a busy few days. I don't know if I'll see you at all."

Jake pulled her closer. "One minute."

Jake kissed her and she rested herself against his body.

"You have forty-five seconds left."

"Are you really timing me?"

Rose laughed and ducked her head into his chest. "No, I guess not. I just don't want to screw up. If I get in trouble or lose this job, I don't know what I'll do or where I go."

"Nothing will happen to you, I promise."

"How can you make those promises?" Rose asked, not looking him in the eye. "Bad things can come out of nowhere and suddenly your whole life is falling apart."

"Do you want to talk to me about anything?"

"Not yet. Someday." Rose still wouldn't look at him. "I mean that, I want to tell you but I'm not ready but, someday, I want to tell you everything about me and I want to know everything about you."

"Take your time," Jake said. "I want you to tell me when you're ready."

Jake cupped Rose's jaw in her hand and pulled her into him, wanting to waste no more time on talking. He was sure that their short conversation had exceeded the forty-five seconds that she had so teasingly given him. He just, for now, wanted to kiss her. He spent a lot of time talking to Rose, especially in their hidden grove, at the other castle. He loved that part of it too but, he knew that they only had a few moments to spend together, and he wanted to kiss her. He wanted to feel her against him as she melted into him.

"See you later, I hope," Rose murmured as their kiss ended.

"Me too. I'll try to catch you when I can."

"Okay."

Jake let her go with reluctance, staying still as she walked away. She glanced over her shoulder, once, as she went and smiled again upon seeing him before hurrying away. He let himself back into his room where Spud was unpacking his things.

"See," Jake bragged, walking in, "no harm done!"

"I'm not so sure about that."

Jake jumped. "Fu! Don't sneak up on me!"

The dog crossed his arms from his spot behind the desk. "I wouldn't have been sneaking up on you if you had been in your room where you were supposed to be."

"I was just, you know –"

"Gramps want you in your dragon form the whole time."

Jake grunted and transformed, parking himself on the other side of the desk.

"And you might want to be careful," Fu added. "Gramps has noticed you and the girl."

Jake rolled his eyes. "What could he possibly have to say?"

"He's just watching," Fu said, but Jake didn't believe it. Gramps didn't 'just' do anything. "He wants you in his chambers in half an hour. He's got a briefing with your mother and then he wants to go over some etiquette with you and Haley."

"Thanks, Fu," Jake said. "Did you come all the way down here to tell me that?"

Fu shrugged. "Falling in love, kid, can change your whole life and the things you're willing to do in it –"

"Who said I was in love?"

"I notice more than Gramps does. I'm not as preoccupied as the old man. I'm just saying –"

"What?" Jake interrupted. "Be careful? Don't do it? It will only end poorly?"

"Some things I thought would end poorly didn't," Fu said. "Some things I thought would end poorly ended up with you and Haley instead. I'm a believer in love _and _its power. I'm just saying that you're young and you might not know its power. I'm warning you not to underestimate it."

Jake cocked his head, feeling flame fill his mouth but he kept it inside. Fu didn't startle easily and singing the desk would only put Gramps on his case. He was too old for slip-ups and they both knew that.

"Do you know something I don't?" Jake asked.

"I always do," Fu said and he hopped down from the chair. "See you later, kid."

Jake watched Fu walk out and then he turned around to Spud.

"Anything from the peanut gallery?"

"Do you love her?" Spud asked, trilling like a child inquiring about a crush.

"I … Shut up," Jake said. "I don't know. I just want to spend as much time with her as I can. I've never felt like this before and I'm just going to run with it. Even if Gramps thinks it's a bad idea."

Spud snorted. "If Lao Shi thinks it's a bad idea, then you would do it. Even if you agreed with him."

"Probably true." Jake stretched his wings out. "I wish I had time to bath. Flying all day makes my scales itchy."

"You're too pampered," Spud said.

It was true but Jake chose to ignore it.

"They'll scrub you up and down before the ball, don't worry," Spud said.

And that didn't make Jake feel better at all.

**I hope you like this chapter! Next up, the bal!**

**~TLL~**


	5. Chapter 5

The day started far too early. Rose dragged her tired body from bed to breakfast, her feet tripping over the stairs. She kept wanting to turn left, toward where Princess Haley's chambers were in the other castle but now she only got a few steps before she veered right. That was where Prince Jacob's and King Lao Shi's chambers were now and she didn't want to stray near them. She felt like she was balancing on a cliff being around this many magical creatures and Haley made her jumpy enough on her own. As she turned the corner to Haley's hallway, Jake was waiting for her.

"I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to see you last night," Jake said, reaching out and grabbing her hands. "I know you only have a second but I wanted to tell you that I'll see you tonight, okay? After the dance. It'll be a late night but you can probably sleep on the journey home tomorrow. Unless you don't want to see me until we get home."

Rose didn't even need to think about it. "I'll see you later, then."

Jake kissed her forehead and then her lips. Her fingers brushed his jaw and then she pulled away with him from a sigh.

"This highlight of this ball is when it's going to be over," Rose said. "I have to get to the princess but I wish I didn't."

"We'll find more time when we get home. I promise."

Rose felt comforted by the thought, even though she had never imagined that she would think of the castle as a home. Somehow, she had become comfortable there and she imagined that it had a lot to do with Jake. She stretched onto her toes and kissed him one more time, just to get her through the day, and then she reluctantly left him in order to go meet Trixie in Haley's room.

"Oh, good, you're here," Haley said the moment that Rose entered. "I have bad news."

"Bad news?" Rose repeated. "Is everything all right?"

"Trixie's sick!" Haley cried. "She started throwing up when she came to wake me."

"That's terrible, does she need help?"

"Fu is taking care of her."

_The talking dog, _Rose thought, and rubbed her arms to get rid of the goosebumps that appeared at the mention of his name.

"But," Haley said, "that means I need you to escort me to the Unity Ball tonight. Do you think you'll fit into her dress?"

"What? Me?" Rose said. "I mean, if that's what you wish, your highness."

Haley laughed, her little wings unfurling. "You don't need to call me 'your highness'. Trixie never does – not in private, anyway."

"If that's what you wish," Rose said. "Although, I think Trixie is more comfortable than I am."

"No need to be uncomfortable," Haley said. "We're civilized. We don't bite."

"I suppose."

"Please see Igraine after breakfast," Haley said. "The servants are required to wear ceremonial dress for this and since you're there to serve me, it's important. I need to make a good impression."

Rose tried to think of how Trixie would address Haley now. "You're going to do fine. And, if you don't, I'll likely make more of a spectacle of myself, so at the very least, they'll pity the princess who has to put up with me."

Haley half-grinned. "Well, let's try to avoid that too."

"We'll do our best," Rose promised.

She fetched Haley's breakfast and once she was eating, ran down to Igraine's workspace. She was the faerie that Rose had helped deliver fabrics to. She stared Rose down as Rose shut the door behind her.

"As if I don't have enough work to do," she said. "All right, take your clothes off."

"All of them?"

"Not the underwear, dear."

Rose's hands hesitated.

"I've seen trolls naked," Igraine said. "Whatever you have under there won't phase me but I need to get this dress on you and measured."

Rose pulled her dress off as quickly as she could, standing there naked and self-conscious as Igraine pulled Trixie's dress from one of the many racks around her. Rose watched her nervously but, just as Igraine promised, she didn't even blink. She fit Rose into the dress but it hung loosely. Trixie had hips and breasts – things that Rose lacked from her years of hardship and physical training. A tape measure moved of its own accord around Rose's body and then the dress began to shrink. Rose felt lightheaded and focused on nothing but the ceiling. There was magic being performed on her body. She had to keep breathing. She had to breathe. Just as quickly as it had started, it had stopped. The servant's dress with its characteristic sleeves in the exact colour of Haley's scales now fit her to a tee.

"Try the shoes."

Rose obediently stepped into them. The quicker she followed orders, the quicker she would be out of the room. Luckily, Trixie's feet and hers were the same size. Igraine nodded at her.

"Okay. I will make the adjustments and it will be ready before the ball."

"I thought you just made the adjustments," Rose said. "Just now, with the magic."

"Not how it works," Igraine said shortly. "It's temporary. I must change the dress before the magic becomes undone. Let's get that off."

As Rose was putting on her normal attire, the faerie added.

"By the way, if you want to get rid of all that," she gestured to Rose's body, "the Fu dog can work wonders."

"Oh. Um, thank you. I'll think about that."

Rose left the room and fled back to Haley's room. She didn't want to think of more magic and she especially didn't want to think about it altering her body.

Haley was just finishing breakfast when she walked in and she hurriedly cleared the dishes away.

"Spud brought up a schedule. The one that Jake's following so that you can help me keep up. He said that he's around if you need anything. He's more used to this. Jake's been making appearances for a lot longer than I have. Although, with all of the etiquette lessons Gramps made _both _of us sit through yesterday, I'd believe he's never been out in public."

Rose tried to grin. She knew that Haley was trying to be funny but the fact that Jake and the prince had the same name always knocked her off kilter until she remembered.

"So, it says here that we need to start with a bath. Uh, how much help do you need with that?"

"A bit," Haley said. "In between the scales and stuff. Usually, dragons can just submerge themselves and that's enough but for events, it's a full cleaning. Don't worry, I won't make you help with my claws."

It was easier to scrub floors than to scrub a dragon. The scales were hard to get fully under and Haley's tail was even more unmanageable. Haley looked uncomfortable through the whole thing and Rose imagined that she would to if she were buffed and polished all over. Not just the scales, but her claws, her spikes, her teeth, and even the hair on her head was gone over by several hands. Rose's hands were rubbed raw from the soap and scales by the time that Haley was dry.

"Next on the list," Rose said, "is lunch."

"And you can do your hair and make-up," Haley said. "I don't think that there will be enough time after I dress."

"My hair and make-up? I … I've never done anything like that," Rose said. "I braid my hair when I have to workout but I've never owned make-up."

"It's a fancy event. You're pretty and you deserve to feel pretty." Haley frowned. "I wish I had human hands to help you out with but I'm sure that someone will know how to help you."

"I'm a servant, Haley."

"No need for you to feel lesser than," Haley said. "I think you do more than I do in a day."

"You study very hard," Rose said. "I'm going to go and fetch your lunch."

When Rose returned to the room carrying Haley's tray, there was a woman sitting on the bed with her. Rose half-dropped the tray onto the desk in alarm; the woman had spider's legs instead of human ones!

"Rose, this is Veronica. She's an old friend of Fu's and of the family."

"I remember when you were in diapers, Haley."

_Did dragons wear diapers? _Rose wondered but dismissed it.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Veronica. Princess, your lunch."

"No need to be formal in front of Veronica," Haley said. "She's going to do your make-up for the ball."

"Oh, Veronica, you really don't need to –"

The woman, whose kind face was silhouetted by brown hair, held up her hand. "I want to. Servant or not, this is a one of a kind event, and you're gorgeous."

"Oh, thank you," Rose said awkwardly. She was pretty. She knew that. Her mother was a beautiful woman and she knew that she took after her. But Rose had rarely _felt _pretty. She was seventeen years old and had grown up in war times. Concerning herself with her looks was frivolous as best. And, after her encounter with Igraine earlier, Rose didn't want to think about her looks or her body.

"Here," Veronica said, "take a seat at Haley's vanity. You don't need it, do you, dear?"

"No," Haley said. "I'm going to be eating."

Feeling cornered, Rose seated herself in front of the ornate mirror and stared at her own reflection. She didn't know if she had ever seen herself so clearly and she kept eye contact with herself as Veronica buzzed around her, adding rouge to her cheeks and lining her eyes. She wasn't quite as done up as the noble ladies or the delegates that were sure to be at the party but she looked more than she was sure that she ever had. All of her imperfections were gone and all that was left were her bright blue eyes. Rose couldn't take her eyes off herself and she felt vain and shallow. After years of being the opposite, it was a novelty to look at herself and know for a fact that she was beautiful.

"Rose, you look _amazing_!" Haley gushed. "I knew this would be worth it."

"Thank you, Veronica."

Veronica shook her hand and Rose felt that she wasn't even unnerved by the spider legs. So long as she was only looking at Veronica's face, that was.

"I'll see you tonight, okay? If you need any help, let me know. I know that you're not Haley's usual lady-in-waiting and I never was but I can be helpful in a pinch. I've been around the block a time or two and have picked up a couple of things."

"Thank you. You've been so kind."

"Any friend of Haley's is a friend of mine," Veronica said, "but I must be on my way." She waved at Haley. "I'm still deciding on the best dress to wear in order to impress Fu."

"You're always impressive, Veronica!" Haley shouted after her but Veronica had already shut the door behind her. Haley turned to Rose. "You do look really pretty."

"Thank you," Rose said. She glanced at herself in the mirror once more.

"If you have anyone you want to look pretty for, they're definitely going to impressed," Haley said. Then, with the grace of someone hitting puberty, she added, "_Do _you have someone you want to look pretty for?"

"Maybe. Let's get you dressed, your highness. You're expected to be ready shortly."

"Your highness? Come _on_, Rose."

Rose's fingers didn't shake once as she secured Haley's ceremonial cloak around her neck with the heavy jewels, fitting her wings through the cloak so that it was always elegantly draped around her. Her tiara was escorted into the room by two guards and secured in place with magic by a wizard that didn't have time for words. Finally, Haley was ready.

"Being a princess at an event is different," Haley said, when they were standing alone in her room. "I never really felt like it meant anything real before but now people are going to be looking at me. My brother is going to be king someday! And I feel that, right now. And I've never really felt that before. Is that naïve of me? You grew up on the border, Rose. It's naïve of me, isn't it?"

"It is," Rose said, "but I think it's good that you are. That you're allowed to be a child."

Haley watched herself in the mirror. "I guess so. You should go get your dress, Rose."

Rose headed back toward Igraine's room, wishing that she didn't have to. It should be Trixie. Trixie knew how to be a lady-in-waiting and Rose didn't know if she could be standing in a room with that many magical creatures for that long without throwing up. Especially being around the dragons. When she reached Igraine's, Spud was standing outside.

"She's got my vest in there," Spud said, "but, someone's angry about their dress. Don't know who. If she's a magic user, I'm not going to get into the middle of it."

"How's Trixie feeling?" Rose asked.

"She was asleep last I checked in on her," Spud said. "I just hope she's all right to travel tomorrow. But, are you going to be all right tonight?"

"The notes you left with Princess Haley were helpful."

"Just follow my lead," Spud said. "Jake is escorting Haley so they're not going to be too far apart tonight, which means that we won't be far from one another either."

"Thank you."

The door opened and Igraine stuck her head out. "One vest, one gown."

"I'll meet you at Haley's quarters and escort you down," Spud said. "Don't worry."

"Thank you," Rose said again, more passionately and held her dress tightly to her as she hurried off to change.

It was one night.

She could live through one night.

She hoped.

(-.-)

Jake tried not to fidget or look around the room. The cloak felt restricting and he didn't want to have to do anything except stare at Rose. Except he _couldn't _stare at Rose because his grandfather was going to stare at him. He had to play nice with the diplomats that he was just finishing having dinner with. Haley was doing more than her part, being cute and charming in all her youthful glory. Jake just felt out of his element. Haley was young enough that no one had an expectation of her knowing everything but she was smart for her age. They asked Jake a lot, expecting him to have nuanced, political answers like his grandfather might and he often fell short.

He would much rather be sitting with Rose, talking about their days and their pasts and anything that came to their minds. There was nothing that he couldn't say to her and almost nothing that he couldn't admit. He kept turning his head to glance at her, but she was just where she was expected to be: hanging back at a respectful distance, sliding in next to Haley's side whenever Spud prompted her that Haley might need something.

It didn't get better when they moved onto the dancing portion of the room. As a dragon, he could easily balance on his back legs and move – he wasn't forced into walking on four legs – and, so, he was obligated to dance. He did so, with Haley, mostly because he was so big in his dragon form that it was a risk of him hurting someone. They only danced once but Haley found herself with daughters of diplomats her own age and spent time dancing with them. Jake stuck close to Lao Shi's side, picking out bits of conversation from what his grandfather said to form an opinion.

Jake couldn't imagine being able to speak to people the way that his grandfather did. The differences in languages and dialect that Lao Shi had mastered but despite his daily lessons, it was something that he had never been able to get a grasp on it. Haley, of course, was excelling at it but that was because Haley excelled at everything. Jake tried not to hate her for it but, sometimes, it was hard not to. Especially on nights like tonight, where she was properly playing her part and getting on with the people that she was supposed to and Jake knew he wasn't.

He spotted Rose, in the background with the rest of the servants, and all he wanted was to have his arms around her.

He had never danced with her. It wasn't surprising. As long as he had known her, there were a lot of things that he had never done with her. There would be time for that – he hoped – but one of the things he had never done with her he could fix tonight.

He couldn't wait.

(-.-)

Rose couldn't help herself. Once the festivities were over – and how late they ended! – and Princess Haley was tucked into bed and snoring away, she snuck back into the magnificent ballroom. The band that had been playing was gone, the dancers all asleep. Even most of the decorations had been already taken down by an army of efficient staff. The candles that were left were low in their holders but it was still beautiful. Rose walked into the middle of the room. The gown she was in was better than any she had ever worn, even though it was one that was typical of servants and she was wearing make-up for the first time in her life. Rose closed her eyes and imagined herself as something she never had before: a princess. Someone invited to a ball like this, in a beautiful dress with her long hair streaming down, the envy of everyone.

She never would be. Not any of it. But Rose hadn't any time for childish fancies in her youth and, in this moment, she indulged herself.

"Rose."

Rose hadn't imagined a handsome prince for her fantasies. For a moment, for once, caught up in herself, but, before Rose even opened her eyes to gaze upon him, Rose knew that her prince would have been Jake.

"Hey, I didn't see you all night."

"I had other things to do," Jake said, "but I'm glad that I finally got to see you."

"You told me you would," Rose said.

"I know." Jake half-bowed. "May I have this dance?"

"There's no music."

"I didn't know we needed any." Jake straightened. "Especially, considering that I don't know how to dance."

"Well," Rose said, seizing his hands, "I do but only if you let me lead."

Jake didn't seem to mind. They held one another close, moving around the dance floor as though there was music. Rose closed her eyes, feeling his strong muscles beneath her fingers, breathing in the scent of him.

"Tell me," Jake said, "how do you know how to dance?"

Rose opened her eyes, staring into his brown ones, feeling her heart swell. Had she ever felt like this? No. Would she ever feel like this again? No. Rose couldn't imagine so.

"It's easy to imagine that war camps are all bad. Dark and grey with no happiness. That's not true. If we didn't come up with any form of light, there's no way anyone would be on their feet. I told you that I worked with my mom as a nurse and, in a medic tent full of people who were sick and dying, believing that they were doing so for their families and their race, that's the time when you need jokes the most." Rose paused, thinking of how her mother had always entered the medics tent with a smile, laughter on her lips even though there was absolutely nothing to laugh about. "We used to organize dances. We'd keep them quiet, due to enemy lines and not wanting too many of us in one place for a t-target, you know. My mother and father always used to dance. She taught me, around the firelight so that I could dance at the little parties too."

"Well, she taught you well."

"I've never really danced with anyone but her – like this, anyway. The group dances, of course, but my father made it quite difficult for me to have friends."

Jake hand grazed her waist and he hummed under his breath, giving them that bit of music.

"I'm surprised they didn't teach you to dance," Rose said, "if you were named for the prince in the likelihood you'd have to be swapped out for an assassination attempt, sure he would have made sure that you could have taken over for him in a situation like this."

Jake's eyes glittered as he remembered the joke. "Why do you think he'd want to skip this?"

"Tonight was the closest I've ever been to the prince and the most I've ever seen of him," Rose said, "and, to be honest with you, he seemed quite bored. Spud agreed and said that he probably was."

"The king is a talker. The prince is more of a doer. I think a talker is best to have running a kingdom, though." Jake's head dipped toward hers. "I don't want to talk about the prince. I've been thinking of nothing but you all day."

Rose rested her head against his chest, hiding away her expression. "I wish I had the luxury to think of you all day. But, I'm glad you're here now and the only thing I have to think of now."

"Hey! You two! Ballroom's closed!"

There was a man in the grand entryway of the ballroom.

"Come on," Jake grabbed Rose's hand, "let's go."

He pulled her out a servant's entrance, hidden near the back, but it was not the entryway by the kitchens that Rose had been using all night and up a narrow set of stairs.

"Do you think he's chasing us?" Rose whispered.

"Probably not but, come on."

He led her to a room.

"What if there's someone in there?"

"There's not," Jake assured her. "I know that they left after the festivities tonight rather than staying."

Jake locked the door behind them while Rose lit all of the candles, looking around the room to make sure that it was, in fact, empty and they weren't about to be chased by anyone else. But, the luxurious room was theirs. The bed looked as nice as Princess Haley's was – nicer than anything Rose had ever slept on. She took a step toward it. Whenever she was making up Princess Haley's bed, she had always wondered what it would be like to sleep there: to have nothing but softness to envelop her. But, then, she paused, and looked at Jake.

"I think there are rules about this sort of thing – a boy and a girl in a locked room."

He quirked an eyebrow and then laughed at her. "Only if you're in high society. That's the thing about being a servant: no one notices you and so you can get away with whatever you want to."

"What are you intending on getting away with?" Rose asked. She'd intended to sound teasing but her breath caught in her throat, giving away how she was really feeling.

"Whatever you'll let me," Jake said, but he definitely sounded like he was teasing.

Rose wasn't sure she wanted to be teased, in this moment. Jake had already moved on. He inclined his head toward the bed.

"Come on. Servants don't get beds like this."

He jumped on it with a child's abandon and Rose was glad he had because she threw herself onto the soft mattress, feeling the give and bounce. The blankets were of the same weight and calibre as the one's she spread over Princess Haley's bed every morning.

"We'll hide in here," Jake said, "sleep in luxury for one night."

Rose turned onto her side. He was spread on his back, his hands tucked behind his head and staring up at the canopy above him before he turned his head to look at her.

"What?" Rose asked. She hadn't seen that look on his face before.

"You're beautiful," Jake said. "You really are."

"I'm wearing make-up," Rose said, "and I don't know if I feel as pretty. It doesn't feel like my face."

"With or without it," Jake said, "you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

Rose felt warm all over. She had never imagined feeling this way about another person. All her life, it felt like the war would never end and that she would never be able to let her guard down enough to have someone in her life. Now, the war raged on but she was not in the thick of it and she was but a servant girl. A servant girl who had been lucky enough to meet someone like Jake. There was no need for her to keep her guard up or care if she did or not. Particularly not with him. He was … Jake. And everything to her since she had been here.

"Jake," she whispered, because she meant it, "I love you."

She had never loved anybody that was not her mother before but she knew what she was saying. She knew she meant it. It was right to say it. But, she watched his face carefully for his reaction. Would he think it too much? Would he not feel the same? Would it make the time that they had spent together too strange and would she lose him? No, Rose did not believe that she would lose him.

A smile stole over Jake's face. His eyes, which were always soft when they looked at her, took on a melting expression. No one had ever looked at her the way that Jake did but she revelled in the way that Jake look at her.

"I was worried," he finally said, "that I would scare you if I said it first."

He rolled onto his side, his hand falling to her hip, her lips nearing hers, but Rose placed her hand on his chest. She needed to hear those words from him. He could probably tell her any lie and she would desperately want to believe it but she didn't believe that he would lie to her – or that she would spot if he did.

"I love you too, Rose," Jake said. "I've never … You're … I love you too."

He kissed her then. When she bedsheets became wrinkled underneath of them and his shirt became unbuttoned, still they did not stop. When Rose's make-up became mussed and her dress loosened around her torso, still she did not stop him. When there was nothing between them but a few scraps of clothing and the blanket that had been pulled over their heads to keep away the chill of the stone, still he did not stop her. Rose knew that neither of them really knew what they were doing but that made it better, somehow, to know that she was giving something to someone who was giving her the same thing. Rose did not know what a future looked like for them for she rarely looked to the future as an act of self preservation and, in this moment, she didn't even care to think of it.

For the first time in her life, she loved a man and he loved her. She wanted to be nowhere but here, in the present, where his skin scorched hers and his fingers explored her.

"Don't say anything," she whispered, "about them. I'll tell you someday but, not tonight. Tonight, I just want to be about you and me."

She couldn't tell what Jake was thinking as his fingers bumped over the outside of her thigh, the line of her waist, touching the evidence of the war that she had lived through. The candlelight, so dim to begin with, was getting ever lower and it was hard, now, to even make out his eyes. At least she knew that he was not disgusted. He would pull away from her if he was. And she knew that she was right – he returned her feelings. He didn't mention it again and, somehow, Rose was able to forget it. She was lost in him.

When they were done, wrapped in the warmth of the luxurious blankets, Jake still drew his arms around Rose, pulling her into his body. Rose hid her face against his chest. She had seen his entire outside, just as she knew that she had seen his true inside, and she knew he was beautiful on both counts.

"Don't go anywhere," Jake whispered. "Stay here with me, all night. Please."

"I don't want to be anywhere else."

It was true. She couldn't imagine sitting up from this bed, getting redressed, and returning to the servant's bed that she had been given. She couldn't even imagine that morning would come and that this moment wouldn't last for the rest of her life.

"I will be right here," Rose said, "as long as you will be too."

"I meant what I said. I love you. I don't want to be anywhere else. I know that we can't stay locked in this bubble forever but I want to."

"Well, we still have time." Rose rested her head down against his chest, listening to his heartbeat against her ear. "And, we'll have time after this, won't we? I mean … there's responsibilities but are we going to be sneaking around the castle forever, finding time between tasks to kiss in empty halls?"

"No," Jake said. "No, I promise you, Rose, that will not be our lives forever. I wish, someday, to marry you. I know you've suffered greatly and I don't wish to add to it. You can trust me. There's nothing I want more than to make you happy."

Rose _did _trust him but the whole proposal made her breathless. Of course, she had never cared for anyone enough to imagine proposals or proper courting. She knew that neither of those things were possible. There were no parents for Jake to ask her hand of; she would have no dowry. But, it wasn't as though she would have a dowry to begin with. She was not a lady. Jake knew this of her. Jake knew that she had nothing to give him but herself. Jake was a servant too. They earnt meagre wages, since their room and board were accounted for. It would be enough to find their own life on. They would find their way through because they had one another. The thought was so enchanting that Rose thought of the fairy tales her mother would share with her before bed when she was a child, the one where magic was not evil and there was balance and peace in the world.

"I want to be here with you," Rose said.

"I'm not going anywhere," Jake promised.

Rose snuggled as close to him as she could possibly get and then she shut her eyes, falling asleep in his arms.

(-.-)

Jake watched Rose sleeping, thinking about the night. _I'm going to marry you_, he had said to her, and he had meant it. Even though there was so much that he didn't know about her, there was more than she did not know about him. Before he made good on any promises, he would have to tell her the story of his dragon side. A side that he knew she feared. He wondered if that would be the thing that drove her away. He didn't know if he could blame her but he also wanted her to try.

Jake brushed her hair off her face, just so that he could stare at her a little more. What if they didn't get another night like this? What if she left him? He wanted to hear more about her and her upbringing. He wanted to hear about the joy that she had made for herself in the war camp and the mother who taught her how to dance. He wanted to be able to show her the beauty of magic. He wanted there to be a time for her after the war and he wanted her to know peace.

Jake couldn't help himself; he tugged the blanket down to reveal her torso and the scars that she had instructed him not to ask about. Jake had never seen anything like it but he hadn't spent a lot of time around the sick or injured. Rose shivered in her sleep and Jake quickly pulled the blankets back up.

His mind tumbled over itself until the sun started to rise and, then, though he hated to wake her, he gently shook her shoulder.

"Rose," he whispered, watching her eyelids flutter. They would have other nights. They _had _to have more nights ahead of them.

Rose's head lifted and she looked at how light it was out.

"Oh, no, did we over sleep? I have no idea what time it is."

She bolted upright but then she turned around to look at Jake. She bent over him and kissed him.

"I'll see you back at the other palace."

"Right away," Jake promised. "I'll come find you as soon as we get there."

"Okay."

Rose threw her clothes back on and raced off but Jake took his time. He had to make sure that she was gone before he transformed and trundled back to his room as a dragon. The hallways were busier than usual this time of morning; people who had risen early to eat and dress and prepare so that they could be on their way first thing.

Jake made it back into his own room without running into Gramps or Fu. And, there was no one in his room but Spud.

"Where have you been all night?"

"You have been talking to my mother," Jake said. "You sounded almost just like her."

"Lao Shi has been _looking _for you," Spud snapped. "Driving me nuts. I was all over this castle and he _knows _you've been running around like a human. Come on, Jake, where the hell were you and was it worth it?"

"I was with Rose," Jake said.

"All night?" Spud scoffed.

"Yeah," Jake said. "I told her I loved her."

Spud dropped the bottle of scale soap he was holding and it burst open on the floor. "Did you tell her you're the prince? The _dragon _prince?"

"Well, no, not … that, yet, exactly," Jake said, "she loves me too. I'm going to need your help and Trixie's to help me figure out how to tell her. You guys always knew because try keeping secrets between a bunch of kids and I've never had to tell anyone."

"Ugh," Spud groaned. "Are you asking what you think I'm asking?"

"No," Jake said, "Gramps will be flying back with me. I'm not going to ask you to fly with me."

"Thank _god_."

Jake changed back into a human. "We should do something about the soap on the floor."

"Dragon, Jake, dragon. Come on. I've been in enough trouble."

Jake changed back at Spud's request but he didn't want to. "Is Trixie all right?"

"Yeah, I was checking on her. She slept a lot and, then, finally, at about four this morning, she was wide awake and doing things. I couldn't stop her but she fell back asleep and was still like that when I left her."

"Good. I really do need her right about now. I don't know what I'm doing," Jake admitted, probably for the first time. "This means too much to me for me to make a mistake."

Jake didn't look at Spud because he could already picture the expression on his and Trixie's face. Jake had already made a mistake by letting it get this far without telling her the truth.

"All right, let's get started on making you ready to fly," Spud said. "Your grandfather said that you're going to leave as soon as the castle has been emptied of guests. The rest of the servants are leaving early so that we'll be there to meet you when you land –"

"Like last time," Jake interrupted. "I know."

"Just trying to be helpful where I can," Spud said, "because I don't know what to tell you about this whole Rose thing."

"I don't know what to tell myself either."

"I can tell you you're an idiot."

"Morning to you too, Trix. You all right?"

"Fine. What were you thinking, Jake, letting her fall in love with you when she doesn't know you?"

Jake whipped around to face her, feeling Spud shove his tail away. Trixie looked a little worse for wear but she wore the same expression of annoyance mixed with affection that she always did when looking at him.

"She knows me," Jake said, "she just doesn't know I can change my shape. But who I am is the _same_."

"She's terrified of magical creatures," Trixie said. "Who you are doesn't matter when you're as afraid as she is."

"Oh, I hate that," Jake whined.

"Hate what?" Spud asked.

"When she's right." Jake sighed.

Jake managed to argue with Spud and Trixie for an hour but there was no answer to be found. Whatever they came up with for Jake to say to Rose, Jake immediately shot down. It didn't feel right. He appreciated their help but he knew whatever he was supposed to say to Rose, he had to come up with himself. But he was glad for their ideas.

Spud and Trixie had to leave and Jake watched the carriages leave before he went to join his grandfather and Haley. They said goodbye to the remaining guests which took several hours. There was still a staff of servants remaining to clean the castle but they weren't the personal servants and Jake wished for Spud and Trixie back. He was sure that his grandfather was going to bring up something – either about his disappearing act or Rose or his behaviour the night before. All were things that Jake wasn't in the mood to discuss because he knew that he would be on the end of lecture.

"Lao Shi," Fu said, "the princess is trying to reach you."

"Jake, with me," Lao Shi said, taking the crystal ball from Fu. "Haley, stay with Fu."

Haley never looked happy about being barred from meetings and, not for the first time, Jake wished that _she _were the older one.

They shut themselves inside of a room, though there was hardly anyone left in the castle, and Lao Shi waved his hand over the crystal ball.

"Have you found it?" Lao Shi demanded.

"Not _it_," Susan said, "_who_. It's a person that he's after."

"A person?" Jake blurted. "What kind of person could they be so desperate to find?"

He was thinking of highly skilled assassins, captains with more knowledge than they should have, weapons makers.

"We launched an attack on one of their camps, several weeks ago. Theron lost his wife and daughter in the attack –"

"Wife?" Lao Shi interrupted. "Daughter? None of our intelligence indicated that he had a family."

"No, it was a shock to all of us to discover it but he's become more careless in protecting their identities as he's trying to hunt them down. Apparently, one of them survived the attack but did not return to the camp and, so, Theron thinks that we kidnapped her."

"Do we know which one?" Lao Shi asked.

"No but I'm going to read off the descriptions of the dead that we could gather. If she did run off, she might have gone undercover at the castle. There's a reason that she didn't stay in camp."

"Might she not be a spy?" Lao Shi asked.

"Possible," Susan answered. "But, if she was a spy, she's cut off contact. He's furious, Father, and will stop at nothing to get her back."

"We must find her before he does," Lao Shi said forcefully. "This could be a powerful bargaining chip."

A daughter had become a bargaining chip. Jake glanced out the window, at the sun climbing higher in the sky. He didn't want to empathize with Theron at all but he couldn't help but think – what if the Huntsclan had gotten a hold of Haley and were thinking of her in the same way? Not as someone beloved with a family but just as something to be used. It was easy to strip away someone's identity and see them as nothing. It was another thing that Jake didn't like about the war – it was what they asked every person who fought to do in order to kill for what they believed in.

"Theron doesn't know who he's looking for either. All we know is: there are three women who were supposed to be in that tent when it burnt and only two bodies that couldn't be identified."

Jake wanted to throw up his breakfast. What had to be done to a body to not recognize it? Then, he felt a flood of heat in his mouth. Fire, of course. And then he couldn't look at his mother's face.

"The first one is a woman, in her forties, her name was Darlene and we don't believe it's her," Susan said. No one noticed Jake's discomfort. "The other two we think are the mother and daughter as the were both blonde, blue-eyed, always seen together. The mother was in her forties, the daughter approximately seventeen. They both worked in the medic tent."

Jake's mind whirred. Fire. Blondes. Unexplainable scars.

"Do we know their names?"

"No. They go by code names – Snow White and Red Rose. That's all we've got."

And, then, Jake knew for certain.

He walked to the window, looking out. The carriage holding Rose and Trixie had left long enough ago that they might already be home. Jake glanced back at his grandfather. Jake heard what they were saying – they must be found, must be jailed, particularly if they had made their way into the castle. Fu had said that his grandfather had noticed Rose but would Lao Shi put the pieces together the way that Jake had? After all, no one knew her like Jake knew her. If Jake left now, Gramps would still have to deal with the closing down of the castle, the servants, and he would have to wait for Haley. If Jake left now, he would undoubtedly get to Rose before his grandfather did.

At the very least, Gramps was going to lock her up. At the worst, well, Jake didn't want to consider that. He had to get Rose out of the castle. She was never going to get fair treatment, not if she truly was Theron's daughter.

"Excuse me," Jake murmured.

He got out of the room. Luckily, Haley had left the entryway, and there was no one there to see him. Better Gramps waste time, trying to see if he was still in the castle. Jake made it onto the grounds and dug his claws into the ground.

"Jake!"

He glanced over his shoulder. "Fu, I … I gotta go."

"Kid –"

"Don't tell Gramps," Jake pleaded. "I need the time."

He didn't stop to hear Fu's reply. He launched himself upward, spreading his wings as wide as they could go to catch the wind. Home.

He had to get home.

**We're over halfway through now! Let me know what you think!**

**~TLL~**


	6. Chapter 6

"I'm not one for getting all dolled up," Trixie said, "but I am sad that I missed the ball. I like to see what the other creatures consider fashionable."

Together, Rose and Trixie spread the comforter over Haley's bed. It wasn't really a two-person job but Trixie was still a little weak and Rose appreciated the company. She was telling Trixie the details of the actual dance now since she had told Trixie the details of what had happened _after _the dance over breakfast.

"I think it was good for me, to see them participating in a dance in their best clothes. It's something I have done and so it made them all seem more human."

Trixie's lips quirked up into a half-smile. "Were you scared at all?"

"Of course, but Spud is a very calm person. It's hard to feel panicked around him."

"He's almost _too _relaxed," Trixie said. "Sometimes, it drives me crazy."

"I guess I can see that," Rose said, "but I appreciated it last night."

Trixie yawned into her hand. "I'm going to go to the garden and fetch some flowers for Haley. I could use the fresh air."

"You're just trying to get out of dusting," Rose said accusingly but Trixie just laughed it off.

"Of course! I'll be back in a few minutes!"

Rose shook her head and then took a moment to tuck some of the blonde strands behind her ears before she picked up the duster. Somehow, the castle could get just _as _dirty on days when the royal family wasn't here as it was when they were here. She was just about half-done when she heard the sounds of someone running down the stone hall. She took a step toward the doorway, wondering what kind of emergency could send someone sprinting when Jake was suddenly in the doorway.

"Rose! You have to leave!"

"What?" Rose dropped the duster. "You want me to go?"

"No, no," Jake said, panting as if he had been running hard for a very long time. His black hair stuck to his forehead and sweat covered his red cheeks. "No, no you have to run. Rose, they know who you are."

Rose felt like her knees were going to give out and she backed up against the wall. "What? You –"

"The king, I heard him talking of it. You have to go, Rose, he's going to be here soon and I don't know what he's going to do with you."

Rose felt frozen. She couldn't run, couldn't even think of moving, but it didn't matter. She couldn't outrun the Huntsclan and the royal family and she could hear the characteristic sound of a dragon approaching. A big one, so she knew that it was not Haley. It was either King Lao Shi or Prince Jacob, not that it mattered. They were on the same side; they knew that she wasn't safe. Honestly, she was surprised they had not found her sooner and she wondered what had tipped her hand.

Jake spun around, keeping his back to her as the king's large body filled the doorway.

"Jacob," he rumbled, "stand aside."

But Jake didn't move and Rose searched for her voice, to tell him that it was all right.

"No," Jake said, "I don't know what you're going to do to her but she doesn't deserve it. If she was going to hurt anyone, she's had plenty of time."

"She could still be a spy and even if she's not, we must keep her under lock and key. Theron will be coming for her and we cannot let her have him."

"No," Jake said, "you can't have her."

Lao Shi took a step into the room. He was so big, _so _threatening, that Rose felt as though she were going to pass out. Instead, she found her voice, trying to straighten up.

"Jake, it's all right. I am his enemy's daughter. I knew this was how it might end when I came to find refuge here."

"It's not fair and it's not right," Jake said, not turning to look at her. "She's done nothing."

"I will move you myself, Jacob."

The king reached out with one hand, his claws looking even more menacing.

"Jake –" Rose started. Lao Shi was not threatening in his movements but, still, Rose couldn't stand the thought of Jake being in any kind of harm.

But, then, Jake was not standing there. Right where he had been was a large, red dragon. Prince Jacob. And Rose had seen her servant Jake transform into him in front of her very eyes. A wild scream left her lips and then she lost all ability to breathe, fainting to the stone floor.

(-.-)

Jake was not, according to his grandfather, to be outside of his chambers until further notice. Jake was not much of a rule follower. He knew where Rose was – Trixie had told him. She was being kept in the dungeon below the castle, although she was being treated better than the average prisoner. Lao Shi had seen to it that she had her things and a proper bed. None of that mattered to Jake; he was incensed over the thought of her being kept behind bars at all.

Of course, now that she had seen him transform, she probably felt safer behind the bars.

Jake just knew he had to see her.

He waited until it was dinner time and his grandfather would be otherwise occupied. He gathered roses from the garden and then stole her dinner tray from Trixie. He was dressed as a servant; the guards to the dungeon didn't even look twice at him.

"Rose," he said, once he had reached her cell. "I brought you dinner and I brought you flowers and I was hoping I could explain."

Rose was sitting on her bed, staring at the opposite wall. She didn't even turn her head to acknowledge him. It was as though he had spoken at all.

"I didn't lie to you, Rose, I_ am _human. I'm just also a dragon."

"How is that possible?" she asked and even though she still wouldn't look at him, it had to mean something that he wasn't getting the silent treatment.

Jake wrapped his hands around the bars, wishing that she would come to him.

"My mother is a dragon. My father is a human."

The half of her face that Jake could see registered extreme shock.

"He was her tutor. She fell in love with him and he fell in love with her. It's impossible to change someone from one species to another. At least, permanently. Fu knew of a way to change her into a human for two days out of every month. They married. He was formally given the title of captain of her guard, to explain why they were always together. They did not know that they would be able to have children or what we would be. Haley and I are both able to control our transformations between dragon and human. We are both. I was trying to figure out a way to tell you. I _wanted _to tell you. I knew how scared you were of magical creatures and I just didn't want to lose you."

"I was hallucinating," Rose said.

"No, you weren't. I am Prince Jacob and I'm also just Jake and I'm so sorry I didn't know how to tell you."

Rose finally turned to look at him, her blue eyes colder than he had ever seen them. Clearly, without emotion, she said, "Your mother killed my mother. Get out of my sight."

It was the last thing that Jake wanted to do but he knew that he couldn't stay either. He got up slowly.

"I'm going to come back, Rose, I don't want to let you go. We can work through it. I know we can."

_Your mother killed my mother_. The words rang through Jake's head over and over again. Maybe that was something that they couldn't get through. But Jake knew that he hadn't been there. His mother's actions weren't his but it was hard to imagine consorting with anyone related to your mother's killer. And it was hard to think of his mother as a killer. It was war; that was different. Was it? Rose's mother was still dead. She was still in a cage for no reason of her own.

Jake dragged himself back to his room, surprised to find Trixie and Spud sitting on his bed, playing cards.

"Hey, where have you been?" Trixie asked. "Yours is getting cold."

"My what?"

"Cider," Spud said. "Trixie got the kitchen to make us treats like we used to have when we were kids. Figured cards and us and snacks would help."

"Can't _hurt_, anyway," Trixie said. "Sit down."

Jake lowered himself onto his mattress and reached for a cookie.

"Thanks, guys, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Don't get mushy," Spud said. "You want to be dealt in?"

"Yeah."

It didn't take his mind off things but it was a good way to spend the night.

(-.-)

Rose paced her cell for the millionth time that day. It was maddening, not being able to see the changing from day to night. She had been inside of her cell for a week now. Jake had come back three times since that first night but Rose always sent him away. He left a bouquet of different flowers every time he came and those flowers were Rose's saving grace. They smelt of the out doors and reminded her that life was going on outside of the cell.

Just not for her.

Rose sunk down onto the bedding again and thought of her father. Not in the terms of the lie that she had told herself since leaving the Huntsclan's camp but in terms of the truth. He was the leader of the Huntsclan. He was leading the war against the magical creatures. And, now, he was looking for her. Rose had known that he would do that as soon as he knew that she was gone and not amongst the dead. If he had ever quite figured it out but he was smart and cruel. She knew that he would. But, did he know where she was? Was he just guessing? Rose had picked the castle because she figured that the last place her father would come looking for her would be in the den of his enemies.

"Rose."

"Good afternoon, Trixie."

She was holding Rose's lunch tray.

"How are you holding up?"

"The same as yesterday," Rose said. "What's going on outside?"

"The same as yesterday," Trixie said, and then she hesitated. "Do you want to talk about him?"

Trixie always asked. Rose was sure that Jake put her up to it; he wanted to know about her. In the same vein, she wanted to know about him but she couldn't bring herself to ask. Except in moments of weakness.

"Does he miss me?"

"Yes. He'd be down here now if I didn't tell him to give you some breathing room."

"I miss him too," Rose said. "But I don't want to talk to him. Does that make me wrong?"

"No," Trixie said, "it's a lot."

"How do you deal with it? Knowing he has two faces?"

"I've known all of our lives," Trixie said. "It's a hard thing to keep from friends when you're a child. I never had time to consider it strange."

Rose nodded. "Will you tell him something from me?"

"Of course."

"Tell him … I do appreciate the flowers."

Trixie left her alone then. Rose ate her meal in silence and then she went back to pacing before falling asleep. She spent most of her days asleep. It was the only thing that she could do to escape the day and pass the time. When she woke, there were flowers again. Bright yellow ones that she didn't know the names of. She scooped them into her arms and wondered if the king would permit the servants to bring her a book. There was no reason to waste her days staring at nothing if she was allowed a book and she resolved to ask Trixie when her dinner was brought.

Except, it wasn't Trixie who brought her dinner. It was Spud. He eyed the flowers on her pillow as he slid in the tray.

"Hi," Rose said. "I was hoping you could bring me something."

"What?"

"A book. I was hoping to do some reading. Types of plants, maybe, that sort of thing."

Spud hesitated.

"Or if you could ask the king –"

"Actually, that's why I'm here. The king would like an audience with you. He wanted to give you time to prepare before he came down."

"Oh! Well, yes, I will see him."

It was a good sign that King Lao Shi was keeping her fear in mind. It meant that she had been right when she had come to the castle. Whether or not the monarchy was the best thing for the country as a whole, she couldn't say. She didn't know enough about politics and she didn't know enough about history. But she was sure that the monarchy was better for the country than the Huntsclan.

"I'll make sure that you get a book with your breakfast," Spud said.

"Thank you."

"They're daffodils," Spud said. "Jake's been driving himself crazy, making sure that he doesn't bring you the same ones twice."

Rose touched the soft petals of the flowers.

"Oh. Thank you for telling me that," Rose said.

"The king will be down in ten minutes," Spud warned her and then he left her.

Rose tried to eat but everything tasted of sawdust. She wasn't sure if it was the fear of seeing the king or the thoughts of Jake flitting through her mind. She felt all over the place and, as much as she had wanted to be composed for the king's arrival, she was anything but.

"Good evening."

Rose curtsied, as she knew she should. "Good evening, King Lao Shi."

"Sit, Rose, I need to ask you about some things and I need you to be honest with me."

Rose sat, playing with the edge of her blanket, unable to take her eyes off the dark blue dragon, wispy white hair around his face.

"I don't wish you any harm and I do believe that you're on the right side of this war."

"I am on your side."

"Your father and his best men have disappeared from camps, as far as our intelligence can tell. They think that you're in the castle and our best guess is on they're way to retrieve you. Do you know how they might be travelling under the radar?"

"No," Rose said.

"No magic tricks?"

"If my father ever even considered using magic, the Clan would hang him and elect a new leader. One of the captains is trained in camouflage – how to look like one thing without changing who they are. You could be looking right at them without knowing it."

"Do you know what route they would take?"

"My father does not like going around. He would rather go straight through. My guess would be the most direct route."

"Now," Lao Shi said, "this is the question I most want to ask: why did you come here?"

"To be on this side of the war and to get out combat. I'm not a spy, your majesty. And I didn't know that Jake was … that he was … I thought he was a servant. I promise, the fact that he can … I promise that's a secret."

"What causes a Huntsclan member to defect? Particularly _Theron's _daughter?"

"It was because I was Theron's daughter! I saw the worst of it. My father made sure I could fight with the best of them! If it weren't for my mother, I probably would have grown up awful. But she raised me with kindness, taught me how to heal. I grew up in the medic's tent with her. She hated seeing people she knew hurt and dying. She doubted and so did I. But she loved my father beyond all reason. She would not have left him, not for anything. Then, she was killed. Killed by your side."

Rose had to stop, feeling overwhelmed by tears. She could see her mother's face all too clearly.

"So, why come here?" Lao Shi asked.

"She told me to. We were inside the medic's tent when there was an attack by the princess. Everything was burning. _I _was burning. We were camped near the river. My mother pushed me into the river and said now was our time to go. He would not look for us. She told me to head for the castle and that she would follow me later but I was in pain. I was in too much pain and I couldn't bear the thought of leaving without her. She was pulling patients out of the tent and, then, it collapsed, and she didn't come back. My father was out. There were plenty of people around but none of them noticed me. So, I left. I ran. I healed while on the road and made my way here. I was taken in as a maid. I didn't want anything more than that. I was hoping my father would never find out I was alive."

She stared at Lao Shi, praying that he believed her.

"And, what of Jacob?"

"I told you, I didn't know!" Rose cried. "I thought he was just a boy."

Lao Shi lowered his head so that they were more at eye level.

"You understand that I might need to use you, if your father does reach here."

"I understand and I will not fight you but, sir, may I make one request?"

"You make ask."

"If you must kill me, please make it quick? I don't wish to suffer."

"If it comes to that," Lao Shi said, "I promise you that it will be quick."

"Thank you."

Lao Shi left her and Rose fell down against her blanket and sobbed.

(-.-)

The last thing that Jake wanted when he dragged himself inside from a training session was to find Haley doing her hair in his bedroom.

"You smell."

"I was working out," Jake said, closing his door and transforming into a human to match her. "Why are you in here?"

"No one will tell me anything about Rose," Haley said. "Not even Trixie but I heard her and Spud talking about you and Rose. I figured you would tell me what was going on."

"You need to stay out of it," Jake said.

"No!" Haley said. "And you've been moping around. Did you really love her?"

Jake sighed. "Haley, I don't want to do this."

"So, that's a yes," Haley said. "But why is she in the dungeon? Is she dangerous?"

"No but she … is the daughter of Theron and Gramps wants to be safe."

Haley gasped, both hands coming up to cover her mouth. "But if she hasn't done anything why keep her in there?"

"To be safe, like I said."

"Are you going to break her out?" Haley asked. "Oh, that would be so romantic!"

"And, do what?" Jake scoffed. "Get her into more trouble? Turn her into an outlaw? That wouldn't help her at all."

"Oh," Haley said, deflated. "I guess you're right. So, you're just going to leave her in there?"

"She also doesn't want to talk to me right now and so there's not a lot I can do except respect that," Jake said. "For now, unfortunately, this is the way that it has to be."

Haley didn't look satisfied at the explanation and Jake didn't feel satisfied either. There was nothing for him to do even though he wanted to do so much more.

There was a knock on the door.

"Who's there?" Jake called.

"It's me," Spud said. "I need to talk to you."

"Haley, get out."

"You're going to need my help if you're going to braid each other's hair all night."

Jake scowled at her but she didn't care. Haley transformed and headed out, letting Spud into the room. Jake turned around to face him.

"What's up?"

"Oh, you smell," Spud coughed. "Did Lao Shi have you pulling extra shifts or are you doing it to yourself?"

"I'm doing it to myself," Jake said. "I need to focus on something and Gramps says that Theron and the Huntsclan could be here at any time. There's just so much to be thinking about and she's down there and I just … I can't think about her in that cell when I'm not there and she doesn't even _want _my help."

"I just came back from seeing her," Spud said. "She wants a book about plants. She said to tell you she appreciates the flowers that you drop off."

Jake began to smile. "Trixie did say she missed me."

"Maybe you should go down and talk to her in the morning. Take her breakfast. You haven't tried to talk to her in a few days."

"Yeah, maybe I will."

But he didn't get the chance.

That night, the outer guard sent out signal flares. Theron was here; the Huntsclan was here. And there were far more of them than anyone had anticipated. Jake knew that he had trained and trained but he had no way of knowing what actual combat would be. He had no way of knowing what it was like to have the floors of his home run red with blood until it happened.

And it was happening now.

(-.-)

Rose gripped the bars of her cell, hearing the commotion from the floors above. He was here. Her father was here. And all she could hear was the sound of violence from above her; they were things that she had never thought that she would hear again. Tears were running down her cheeks. Father was up there. Jake was up there. Trixie. Spud. What about Haley? She was only a little girl. Lao Shi was an experienced fighter; they had the guard. There was no need to keep anyone in harms way.

"Rose!"

"Spud?"

Spud stared at her. "We're losing and I don't know if you can do anything and I don't know if you can try but I … I have to try everything."

Then, he put the key in the lock of her cell and let the door swing open.

"Don't hurt him. Please, help _us_."

Rose looked from Spud to the opening in the door and then she dove for her bags. There was something in there – something her father had gifted her long ago. Something that she had vowed never to use so long as she was here.

The weapon in her hand gleamed brilliantly as she let it extend to its full size. A spear that crackled with barbs and death. The weapon that her father had given her, expecting her to be on the front lines with him. It was the weapon to slay a dragon with. She heard Spud's inhale as she took off up the stairs from the dungeon. The main entryway was a mess of blood, of dead, of dying. There was her father, in the middle of it, battling with Lao Shi. And Jake, his bright red scales glittering more brightly with the red of his blood. His yellow underbelly was split open but there was no way that anyone could get in there to help him. Theron was mere feet away; it must have been his hit that had done this.

Matter of fact, Rose knew it was.

She hefted her spear in her hand and called for him.

"Father!"

Two of his captains took his back and took over Lao Shi so that Theron could turn and look at her.

"Rose! I _knew _you were here."

Rose hefted the spear.

"You've never killed before," Theron said. "You really want to start with a dragon? The _king? _You are your father's daughter!"

"No," Rose said, thinking of her mother and thinking of Jake. "I'm going to start with you."

Rose threw her spear, watching it pierce him, watching his face fall. He was unmoving and she knew he was dead but, that, she decided didn't matter. She was at Jake's side. He was still breathing but blood came out of him at every small movement and she could see his insides. She knew from helping Haley prepare for the ball that dragon's skin was so much thicker than human's skin.

"Someone help me!"

The little Fu dog was at her side in an instant.

"It's bad," Rose said. "Do you have anything that can hold this together?"

"It'll have to be stitched. A wound like this I can't put back together," Fu said. "But I do have a potion that will heal anything inside so we don't have to worry about that."

Rose's hands were covered in dragon blood and not in the way her father always imagined for her.

"We're going to have to do this here, we can't move him."

There was a crash above her. A soldier in the Huntsclan army went flying into to the wall, propelled by magic. Rose looked around at everything going on.

"We have to do this _here_?!"

"We have to. He's too big. I'll get a wizard. He'll cast you in a protective sphere and you won't have to worry about anything hitting you."

"I'll need a kit, not just a wizard!" Rose shouted after him and then she looked back at Jake, holding his body together. He was breathing, but barely, and his eyes hadn't opened at all yet. "Don't you die on me, Jake, don't you dare!"

Rose didn't know what she would do if he did.

**There are two chapters left! Let me know what you think!**

**~TLL~**


	7. Chapter 7

Everything hurt.

Jake's wings fluttered against his back as he tried to shift but the pain was too much.

"Shh, no, don't move."

There was a hand on his cheek and that voice sounded a lot like Rose's. Jake leant into her.

"Hey," Rose said, "are you there? Are you awake? Open your eyes for me, Jake, _please_."

Jake did, realizing that his head was in her lap. His _dragon's _head and she wasn't shying away from him. Matter of fact, her hands were all over his face and tears were falling from her eyes.

"You're there! I was so worried that something had gone wrong or that you were hurt too badly."

Hurt. He'd been hurt. He didn't remember that. He looked around the room. It was his bed in the castle. Rose was out of the dungeons. His sluggish brain knew that was important.

"What happened?"

"Father injured you. That happened before Spud let me out of my cell so I don't know those details. I got upstairs and everyone was fighting. I saw him and you and I knew he had tried to kill you and so instead I killed him. After that, Fu and a wizard, Eli, sealed me in a protective bubble while I sewed you up. Then, they moved us up here when we could move you safely. We won. Anyone from the Huntsclan are being held here. My father brought his best men with him but he was too confident. Now, the war camps are left without their leaders and so the Huntsclan is being disintegrated by the magical side too easily."

Most of it went in one ear and out the other. Jake couldn't stop staring up at Rose. She had fixed him. She had saved him.

"Are you scared of me?"

"Yes," Rose admitted. "This face still scares me but I was more scared of losing you and not getting to have this conversation. I can work on getting used to this –"

"I'll change back."

"No, don't, Fu doesn't want you to until you're healed. Just in case. He doesn't know how the injuries will transfer."

Rose kept touching him – his hair, his face, the spikes along his back. That was the part that Jake revelled in.

"I'm sorry for not telling you. I'm sorry for –"

"Jake, you don't have to –"

"I meant what I said –"

"I did too –"

"I love you," Jake said.

"I love you too." Rose combed her fingers through his hair. "I have to go fetch your friends and family. I promised them I would."

"And they're all okay?"

"Trixie and Haley were sent out with everyone else who didn't know how to fight and would be in the way. Spud was supposed to go too but he came to get me and stayed in the dungeon until it was over. Your grandfather is fine."

Jake's rested his hand over hers, making sure that his claws didn't go anywhere near her skin. He could hear her erratic heartbeat and he didn't want to freak her out anymore, although he was desperate to touch her.

"Come back," he begged. "Promise?"

"I will."

Jake was still reluctant to let go of her but she slid from the bed and out the door. Then, he was surrounded by Spud, Trixie, Haley, Fu, and Gramps. He wasn't surprised when Rose didn't return while Gramps was there and he tried to enjoy the attention of his loved ones.

"You did good," Gramps said. "You were overwhelmed, as was I."

"You didn't get sliced in half," Jake said grumpily.

"Girls love scars," Haley said.

"How do you know what girls like?" Gramps asked.

"Gramps," Jake said, "Rose said the skirmishes were ending. Mom and Dad?"

"Are on their way home," Gramps said. "It is a long journey – a week of flight or more, depending on how much Susan rests – but they are coming."

Jake relaxed into the bed.

It was over.

At least, the war was.

(-.-)

Rose went and sat with Jake every day. It was starting to get easier to hear the voice that she knew coming out of a dragon's voice and his eyes were still the ones that she had recognized from day one. He was starting to grow more restless but Rose was taking that as a good sign.

"You stay on bed rest," Rose said. "Fu's orders."

"Fu's not a doctor."

"Then on mine," Rose said. "Just a few more days. I can't stand the thought of you … of having to do any of that again. What if you hurt something and I can't save you this time?"

Jake didn't look happy about it but he settled back down into his bed. Rose took a chance and ran her hands along the thinner membrane on his wings.

"That tickles," Jake snorted.

"I was curious," Rose said. "I don't really know anything about dragons."

"You know how to kill them," Jake said. "That ear thing is true."

"I couldn't be sure about that. Sometimes, I wondered if my father made things up to seem more confident. To make the Huntsclan feel as though there was a real chance of winning and beating the magical side."

"I'm sorry."

Rose stared down at her hands. The hands that had thrown the staff that had killed her father. She would always have to carry that with her. Whether or not it was the right thing to do or the only thing to do didn't matter when she was reliving it in her mind. She hadn't even tried to speak with him. Her mother had loved him but her mother had also told her to run from him. She wished, desperately, for her mother. For someone to tell her that she had done the right thing.

"It's not your fault," Rose said. "I made my decision. I decided to save your life and I'm not sorry that I did that."

"Come sit with me, please. Maybe read to me again."

Rose settled down on his bed, leaning against the pillows. Jake put his head on the one across from her and she thought of the night they had spent together in the other castle. Sometimes, it was harder than others to reconcile the dragon to the man, but it was getting easier.

"You never seemed like much of a reader."

"I like the sound of your voice," Jake said, "and it's something to do while I can't leave here. When I'm healed, I'll take you anywhere that you want to go."

"I'll still have a job," Rose said. "Assuming the king isn't going to fire me for taking time off to nurse you."

"A job?" Jake frowned. "Rose –"

"Jake!"

Whatever he was going to say was cut off when a green dragon head poked into the room.

"Oh, honey, are you okay?"

Princess Susan.

The last time Rose had seen her, Rose had been lying in a river, feeling as though she was going to die.

She had to get out of the room.

Luckily, Princess Susan only had eyes for Jake and Rose was able to slip from the bed. It was when she was nearing the bed that she spotted the man – not noteworthy at all, with his brown hair and gangly limbs. Whoever Jake looked like, it wasn't his father. But this was who this must be.

"Jakey!"

He didn't notice her either and Rose bolted into the hallway. She would have to confront those feelings sooner rather than later, but she was hoping for later. She found Trixie where she always was: next to Haley.

"Haley," Rose said, "your parents are with Jake."

"They're home! THEY'RE HOME!"

Haley leapt from the bed, her wings catching her and she used them to propel her further. When she was gone, Rose sunk to the floor and hid her face in her hands.

"Oh, Trixie, what am I going to do? There's too much bad blood between me and his family! How am I going to make this work? If we can! This is crazy. Everything he said that night, I wanted to believe. I still want to believe but how can any of it be true? He's the prince and a dragon and … and …"

Trixie sat on the floor next to her and wrapped her arms around her.

"You'll figure it out and you'll know what the right thing to do is, even if it's the hard thing."

It had been easy. Falling in love with Jake the servant had been easy and right. Falling in love with Prince Jacob the dragon was a whole other thing.

She sobbed into Trixie's shoulder until she felt like she could stand on her own.

"It's almost dinner," Trixie said. "Go get something to eat and you might feel better. Spud's mother swears by good food."

"Thanks, Trixie. I needed that."

"I'm your friend too. Whatever you need."

Rose felt better as she left Haley's room but, on her way down the stairs, someone else's voice called out to her. Rose half-turned and that was when she spotted Susan. It was rude to run from a member of the royal family but she also didn't want to be within reach of Princess Susan, but she knew those jets of fire could reach further than she ever could get.

"Your highness."

Rose curtsied, trying not to tremble.

"I wanted to thank you for saving my son."

"You're welcome."

"And, from what I hear," Susan said, inching closer, "you did it for your own heart."

Rose didn't move.

"My father told me about your mother. He wanted me to know that you may not be comfortable with me."

"Yes, well, I appreciate that he is looking out for me."

"I want you to know, Rose, that I am not proud or happy with anything that I had to do during the war. I did it to protect the people I love. I know you understand that."

"I do," Rose agreed.

"And I want you to know that I didn't kill your mother on purpose. Our intel was wrong. We didn't know that it was a medic's tent. We never would have hit a hospital. We didn't mean to harm you or kill your mother. That, in particular, weighs heavily on my conscience."

"Was that supposed to make me feel better?" Rose demanded, feeling something inside of her snap. "Is it supposed to cheer me up, knowing that my mother died because of an _accident_? Not because of a brutal attack during a war where she died saving her patients but because someone messed up! And that it weighs on your conscience! Do you have any idea about how many fathers you killed? Other mothers? _Children_? No, the fact that it was an accident does _not _make me feel any better."

Then, Rose didn't care. She didn't care if she was set on fire again or if Princess Susan hunted her down. She ran to the only place on the grounds that she had ever felt remotely safe: the grove in the gardens. It was much bigger and emptier without Jake to fill the space. She collapsed onto the damp grass and cried again.

How could she ever be happy here?

Night was falling and Rose was leaning up against one of the trees, watching the stars appear through the leaves. Then, there was a crunching sound. Rose felt too drained to move. Besides, she knew who it was.

"You're supposed to be on bed rest."

Jake settled down across from her, his tail spread out next to him. "I know. I had to promise him that I wouldn't transform but I knew that I had to come find you. Haley overheard your conversation with Mother. I don't think that was fair of her to corner you like that."

Rose stared down at her knees. "I feel so confused, Jake. I don't know what I'm doing. I came here because my mother wanted me to, I stayed because of you, but now, I just killed my father and I don't know where that leaves me or what kind of person that makes me and everything that I thought I knew about you I have to rearrange. You're not human. You're not a servant. You're a dragon. You're royalty. And that changes everything too."

"Why?" Jake asked. "Everything I told you was the truth. I love you. I want to marry you. I want you to get everything you deserve."

"I'm a murderer!" Rose cried. "What do I deserve? And why do I deserve anything more than everyone else in caught up in the war? Why am _I _special?"

"Because of who you are. The way you can talk about the world, the way you look at things, your healing hands. Rose, you don't have to be a servant forever. You can be a medic, train under the doctor, or you can explore anything you want to do. We can travel, see the world. We can take food to the refugees and help them integrate into magical society. It'll be better than if we went alone. There has to be a lot of distrust."

Rose hung her head in her hands. She knew that Jake wasn't trying to suggest that she should stay here with him because she could be a good political ally. Jake probably didn't even realize that she was thinking of leaving. Until this moment, Rose hadn't even entertained that it was a possibility. But it was. She could just pick up and leave. Being around Jake had been a whirlwind and it would stay with her for the rest of her life but that didn't mean she had to stay here in the castle and with him.

Her heart broke at the thought of it.

Could she leave him? Not even the things that he was offering her but the simple fact of never seeing Jake again? Could she live with that?

Rose didn't know and her head was spinning again.

"Rose," Jake said, "I don't want you here if you don't want to be here. I mean, no, I'm always going to want you here. What I'm saying is: if you need to go for you, then go. But know that I'm here and know that you can always come back. _Always_. Know that I want you here."

Rose reached out her hands and Jake inched toward her, touching their foreheads together. Rose touched his scaly cheek and closed her eyes, inhaling. She had become comfortable standing this close to a dragon. Well, this dragon in particular. He gave off the same feeling that his human counterpart did and though her instincts warned her that he was dangerous, she _knew _that he was Jake.

"I don't know what I'm thinking, Jake. Honestly. I didn't believe that my past with the Huntsclan would catch up with me and then it all happened so quickly. My father was a bad man and I don't feel as though I'll ever regret saving your life over his. But, there's a whole other side of you that I don't know anything about and that means there's so much more to think about now. I'm not royalty – worse than that, I'm the daughter of the man that waged a war against your family! And, you're a dragon to the public! We'd never be allowed to be seen together! And it might not matter because the king might just lock me up in the dungeon again or execute me along with my father's captains!"

"Rose –"

"I'm sorry," Rose said, shaking her head and stepping away from him. "I just don't think you can help me right now. I think I need to be alone."

Jake didn't look happy about it but he inclined his head. "If that's what you need, just don't forget I'm here."

"I never could."

Jake asked if he could escort her back to her room and Rose gratefully agreed. They barely encountered anyone on their way there and she paused in front of her door.

"Make sure you go back to bed. I don't want you to pull your stitches or anything."

"I'll be all right."

"I held your organs in my hands," Rose said, "I don't want to have to do that again. Take care of yourself."

"I will." Jake paused. "See you in the morning?"

Rose hesitated before nodding. He touched his snout to her forehead and then she let herself into her room. There, on her bed, was a bouquet of flowers along with the book on plants that she had requested while in her cell. It felt a lifetime ago. As did those days that she had spent sitting in Jake's bed while he healed. Those memories had become hazy, like they weren't reality. Or, just that reality hadn't set all the way in. The arrival of princess Susan had jerked her out of the safe bubble her mind had constructed for itself and now all she could see was mess.

Jake was half-dragon. His mother's side were all dragons. She didn't know if there was any way to make peace with Susan over the death of her own mother. She was the daughter of their biggest enemy. Even though Theron was gone and peace between nations declared, the ideologies that had led them to war in the first place would always be there. If she stayed, the shadow of who she had been born to would always be over. King Lao Shi had not been to see her again but she was dreading having it happen. He could always find her guilty by association and she wouldn't blame him in that case. He almost certainly wouldn't want to employ her and he definitely wouldn't want her to be seen with Jake. Not that she _would _be. If Jake's father – whose name she didn't know – had been kept from the public for twenty years, there was no reason to think she and Jake could be together. Rose didn't know if she could live that way. She also knew it wouldn't be fair to ask for a rule change just for her. He was a prince, and even though he loved her, Rose knew which one would outweigh the other.

Rose sat on her bed, feeling wholly overwhelmed. She wasn't equipped to deal with anything that was happening and she wished for her mother. But Rose had no mother and, now, no matter how much she had claimed him, no father. And both were her fault. She should have begged her mother to stay with her; she should have tried to speak with her father. She knew, deep down, that it wouldn't have mattered. Her parents didn't back down from anything, particularly when it was their strong beliefs. Her mother would not have run away with her; her father would not have run away from battle. Her parents were fighters.

Perhaps Rose was not her parents' daughter after all.

She had a frenzied burst of packing half her meagre belongings in her bag before she sank to her knees, willing herself not to cry again. It shouldn't be so hard. What did she want?

Jake.

She wanted Jake but she could never have him without all of the strings.

There came a knock at her door and Rose hoped it wasn't Jake. Or Trixie. Or Lao Shi. Or anyone.

Rose ran her hands through her frazzled hair and opened the door, immediately falling into a curtsey.

"Your highness."

"No, please, don't," Jake's father said. "I may be married to Susan but I've never been treated like royalty. I was hoping we could talk. May I come in?"

"Of course."

He stepped inside her small room and placed a tray on the end of her bed.

"Jake was concerned you missed dinner."

"Oh, thank you."

Rose shut the door, feeling as though their conversation shouldn't be overheard and in a castle this size, there were plenty of people who could be listening in.

"I'm Jonathan."

"Rose."

She shook his hand and then stood expectantly.

"Jake told me about your conversation. I thought I might be able to offer a different perspective for you, as a non-royal human who married into the royal dragon family."

"Jake said you were Princess Susan's tutor."

"Yes, I was. I was travelling, learning about the different magical cultures – long before any sort of war had broken out. It was supposed to be a temporary post, only three months. I loved her after three days. I didn't know anyone could laugh like that." He looked lost in memories before focusing on Rose once more. "I never said anything. I never imagined she could love me too and what life would be like even if she did. I was likely thinking similar things to what you are now. After my three months were up, I left. I left her and the castle. I wanted to come back but I was so sure that she wouldn't want me to and that I wouldn't be wanted, even though I was sure she was the only one I could be happy with."

"So, why did you come back? What made you change your mind?"

"Susan. She found me, confessed her feelings to me. She told me that had found a potion. We could be human together for a short time. I knew that wouldn't solve all of our problems and I could only think of all of those problems. Then, I told myself: _darn it, Jon, you love each other – you have to try! _And we've been happy since."

"You're saying that I should try, no matter the problems and no matter the consequences?"

"Yes and no," Jonathan said. "I'm saying leaving _can _be good for you – new perspectives come with new places, after all – but if your heart tells you to return, don't be afraid to follow it."

Rose nodded, toying with a fold in her dress.

"May I ask – how did the king feel about it all?"

"He is very protective but that means he wants the best for his family. He asked a lot of questions, not because I was human or non-royal, but because I was a suitor for his daughter. That was his only concern."

"Everyone knows whose daughter I am. That's a cause for concern. Everyone knows what I am capable of in battle. That is also a cause of concern." Bitterness leaked into every word but she softened when she said, "Jake doesn't seem concerned. Like he thinks that love is enough but what if it's not? I'm too scared. Maybe that's the problem."

"Jake _is_ concerned," Jonathan assured her. "He's thinking about all of that and more. The difference is, he would rather try than consider any other options. If you need freedom before you try, that's not a bad thing."

Rose looked to the half-packed bag on her floor. "It feels like it."

"It's not. It's taking care of yourself. And, if someone really loved you, they wouldn't try to stop you from doing that."

Jake hadn't tried to stop her. Rose had never doubted that he had been honest with his feelings for her.

"I should leave you to your dinner," Jonathan said.

"Thank you again for doing that."

"You saved my son's life," Jonathan said. "It's the least I could do. And, I am sorry about your mother."

Rose was left alone in her room. Of course, he had been there too. He wasn't the one with fire but he had been there for the fight that killed her mother. If she stayed, she would have to make peace with Susan one day. If she left, she would still be thinking about her mother's death. She sat on her bed and picked at the tray, finding that she had too many thoughts to really be hungry.

**Sorry this is late but I moved this weekend and was out of internet until just a few minutes ago!**

**One more chapter left! Let me know what you think!**

**~TLL~**


	8. Chapter 8

Jake couldn't sleep. He hated sleeping as a dragon, particularly in rooms. His dragon body felt like it should be perched in a cliff somewhere. It took all of the enjoyment out of the large, comfortable bed where he had spent many a night happily flopped out, his face in his pillows, not having to worry about wings or tails or spikes. He thought about changing back into himself – he _really_ didn't think it would do any damage – but then thought better of it. If he did get himself into any sort of trouble, Rose and Fu would never let him hear the end of it.

Jake shifted again and then he heard a knock at his door before it creaked open. Rose's face was illuminated by a flickering candle light.

"Rose," Jake said, picking up his head.

"Oh, you're awake." Rose stepped inside and shut the door behind her. "Can I … Would it be too inappropriate to stay with you tonight?"

"No," Jake murmured. "Please, come here."

Jake hadn't been sure that he would wake up and she would be here at all.

Rose fled to his bedside, setting her candle on the small table. She stayed near the edge of his bed, pulling her knees up and under her, sitting so high up she was practically on top of the pillows. From the small amount of light in the room, Jake could see how troubled her expression was and he wanted nothing more to reach for her and hold her close. He knew that he could do it in his dragon form without hurting her but he knew that she was still wary of him when he looked liked like this. She was getting better about it but he still had to be careful not to startle her.

"What's on your mind?" he asked.

"You," Rose confessed. "Me. Us."

Jake should have guessed as much.

"If we are together, it won't be easy," Rose said.

"True, for the first while," Jake said, "but now is the time to do it. Our subjects and the humans are working on integration of towns, trade between species, and getting along again. Now, is a time of peace and a time for change. There will be questions, we'll have answers, and, years from now, everyone will have seen that you are more than your father. Not that anyone else's opinions will weigh in on our happiness."

Rose turned to look at him and then she slid down, lying on her side so that she was facing him. Her face was hidden in shadow but Jake took it as a good sign that she wasn't sitting up. Perhaps he was reading too much into it; perhaps it really did mean more.

"You're a prince. You are the opinions of others. I won't be able to hide like your father does, you know. They all know who I am. Some are calling for my execution too or, at least, imprisonment."

"How do you know that?" Jake asked.

"Some of the other servants told me."

"You mean Trixie?"

Rose didn't respond but Jake was confident he was right. Trixie would have wanted Rose to know everything that was going on and no one would have thought twice about a servant in the background.

"Gramps wouldn't do that to you," Jake said. "He's let you walk around of your own free will. You earnt his trust when you saved my life. You could have fought with your father; you could have let me bleed to death."

Rose squeezed her eyes shut and hid her face in the pillows.

"But, you didn't and that's what Gramps is telling people."

"Gramps," Rose said. "Do you know how strange it is to hear you calling the king that?"

"Do you know how hard it was to call him anything else?"

"If you didn't lie, you never would have to remember different stories."

"If I didn't lie, you never would have spoken to me. Do you think that would have been better?"

Rose reached out, putting her hand on top of his scaly one. Finally, she said, "No. I cannot picture a life where I don't know you."

Jake couldn't resist it. He let his dragon side disappear, leaving himself as a human, and wrapped his hand tightly around hers.

"Jake!" Rose gasped. "You shouldn't have –"

"I'm all right," Jake said.

Rose didn't believe him, sitting up and snatching the candle. She pulled up his shirt without warning, staring down at the wound. Her fingers played over his skin and Jake was not thinking of injuries as she touched him.

"You shouldn't have done that," Rose said. "What if you had gotten hurt again?"

Jake sat up, taking the candle from her hands and placing it back on the table.

"I'm in no pain. I'm all right." Jake kissed her forehead. "Rose, we're moving back to the other castle. It's usually our main residence. Will you be going with us? Please, I would like for you to."

"I packed my bags earlier," Rose said and Jake felt like he couldn't breathe. Was this why she was here now? This was their goodbye. "And then I spoke to your father."

"What did he say?"

"He understands the questions I'm asking myself about our future and what my life will look like if I stayed. He stayed," Rose murmured, "he knows. I know you try to understand me but there are some things that I know you can't. And other things that I know only I can understand."

Jake closed his eyes. If this was goodbye, he could accept it, but he didn't want to look at her as she said it. Rose slid herself into his arms.

"I'll go with you to the other castle," Rose said quietly. "I don't want to be the person who runs away in the middle of the night. I meant it when I said I love you and that also means I don't run like a coward. You deserve better than a coward."

She was so close that Jake felt as though his heart was going to beat all the way out of his chest. He moved closer as though this were going to be their very first kiss, feeling goosebumps as their lips touched.

Rose kissed him softly and then she turned around to blow out the candle while Jake pulled the blankets up over them. They tangled around one another and Jake breathed in her sweet scent. She was here.

For now. She was here.

(-.-)

Rose was trying hard to not look at Trixie but they were stuck in a small carriage together for several very _long _hours and she knew that Trixie wasn't going to let her get away with being quiet for too much longer. Rose was going to take every second of it that she could get because she knew the questions that Rose was going to ask. She just didn't know how to answer them. They were the same questions that Rose had been going over for days. She was still here. She guessed that counted for something.

"How did your talk with Lao Shi go?"

"I'm not going to be executed or kept captive," Rose said. "He did imply that I was safe in the castle but if I went elsewhere, well, my father had enemies. And those who were in the Huntsclan did not go quietly. They know who killed him."

Lao Shi had made it clear that she was allowed to leave and that he was not detaining her in any way. Rose knew that if she did, there would always be the chance that she would not be able to make the decision to return and, rather, be left for dead. Or captured and used in a way that would make death preferable. She knitted her fingers together in her lap. Aside from the afternoon where she had spoken to Princess Susan for the first and last time, leaving had never seemed to be the preferable option.

"So, you're not planning on going elsewhere?"

"It _has _crossed my mind, of course, but I'm sure Jake told you that himself."

"He might have."

"He'll be king someday, won't he, Trixie?"

"_Someday_, yes," Trixie said. "He's in line for the throne after his mother and that won't change. Why?"

"He wants me to marry him," Rose confessed and from the way Trixie's eyebrows raised, she was sure that Jake hadn't mentioned that detail to her yet. "But there's not just Jake. There's a public dragon image and a royal line. I would be a less than stellar queen and not just because of my reputation. But, Jake's father has never had to do any royal duties so that won't be a problem. I just hate the thought of being with someone that I'm not allowed to be seen with. That part, I think, drags on me more than anything else does. It won't feel real. Am I making sense? I think I'm overthinking everything."

"Uh …" Trixie said and there was a strangely guilty look on her face.

"Uh, what?" Rose asked. "I know you know something I don't."

"They're planning another ball, this one Jake's suggestion. The war is over and so they're hosting everyone for peace announcements. And, since the war is over, Jake has made the suggestion – and Susan and Lao Shi agree – that there is no need to hide anymore and that only complete honesty will assist in human-magic relations. So, for the first time, Jonathan will escort Susan and they will be a couple. Haley and Jake will be able to transform at will. Haley's thrilled, she's getting a real gown commissioned from Igraine. Jake, of course, is intending to ask you to go with him."

Rose looked out the window, recognizing the scenery. They were getting closer to the main castle but the dragons wouldn't arrive for a few hours, after the servants had prepared the palace. Jake hadn't wanted to let her go without him but the alternative was flying on him and she didn't think she'd ever be at a place where she was comfortable enough to sit on his back. Jonathan told her it was hard to get used to.

"Why would he do that?"

"I think you know."

Rose did know. Jake knew her and wanted to show her that he was not going to be hiding her in any way. The whole thought of being loved that much took her breath away and Rose didn't know how other people handled those feelings.

As there always had been, there were two options for Rose to take: run away from the feelings or stay and love him back. She knew she had to stop torturing herself and, torturing him. She had to make up her mind.

But, she was quite sure she already had.

(-.-)

Haley veered into his path and Jake flapped his wings, hard, sending her much lighter weight tumbling.

"Jake! That wasn't fair! _Mom_!" Haley flew closer to their parents again and Jake shook his head. "Did you see that?"

"Be nicer to your sister, Jake."

"I'm just flying here, Dad!" Jake shouted back.

Haley stuck her tongue out at him but didn't stray closer to him. It was Gramps and Fu that flew up on his right side.

"Hang back with me a moment," Gramps commanded. "We need to speak, privately."

Jake felt like a rock had formed in his stomach. There was one thing that Gramps would want to talk to him privately about. Jake didn't know what Gramps would say. His parents, yes. When he had told his mother and father about Rose, the had supported him. They were both hopeless romantics and, with their history, who could blame them? Even Fu's little face didn't give anything away and the dog was usually terrible at hiding things.

"About what?"

"Rose. The girl."

"Yeah, I figured," Jake said. "What have you heard?"

"Many things. Some of which, I'm just going to say: please be more subtle with your improprieties."

If Jake could have blushed as a dragon, he would have. Instead, he pulled on his years of lessons to answer diplomatically. "I don't intend on them being improprieties for much longer."

Which was true. Either Rose would leave or Rose would agree to marry him. They both knew that there could not be a halfway point for them.

"Those are your intentions, then? To marry her?"

"Yes," Jake said, belatedly wondering if he needed his grandfather's blessing for such a thing. Probably. He was, after all, the king. "Unless you see an issue."

Lao Shi was silent for a long time and Jake looked at Fu, pleading with him to say something. Fu had always been the voice in Gramps' ear and if Lao Shi was split on an issue, Fu could sway him from one side to another.

"Look, kid," Fu said, "we like her. We have seen no evidence she's like her father –"

"She killed him to save me. She saved you too, Gramps. She's her mother's daughter. I _know _her. She ran away from the Huntsclan and their camps and came here so that she wouldn't be supporting them."

"Yes," Lao Shi said, "I have already spoken to her several times. I've heard her story too."

"We think you two could make a good match," Fu said. "We just want to know if you're sure."

"If she'll have me, all I want is her."

Lao Shi stared ahead, watching Susan and Jonathan with Haley.

"I didn't think that you could get in more trouble than your mother did with her love life," Lao Shi said. "A human and a dragon. I didn't think it could get stranger."

"At least Haley seems normal," Fu said.

Jake bit back a retort. His little sister was the opposite of normal and always had been.

"Your grandmother," Lao Shi said, startling Jake. His mother's mother had died when she had still been young and Susan didn't have many memories of her; it was rare that Jake heard of his grandmother, "and I were not supposed to be married. At that time, the royal families still arranged marriages and I had been promised since birth to another dragon. I met your grandmother at the yearly dragon council. She was daughter of one of the council members. We were only together for one week and I knew I could only marry her. I told my parents that and threatened to forfeit my place for the throne. My cousin was an unacceptable option and there was no one else. She and I were married before the year was out."

"What I'm hearing is that I can blame you and Gram for all of this, not Mom and Dad."

Lao Shi laughed. "Yes, I suppose that's one takeaway. Your grandmother would never forgive me for trying to influence your heart one way or another and I don't see the need. I realized how much you cared for her when you put together the argument for the ball and why your abilities should not remain a secret any longer. I have never seen you so organized. It is what's expected of a future ruler. If it is right, Jacob, follow your heart."

"Thank you, Gramps."

Jake let his grandfather catch up to the other three but he coasted along on the wind. His heart led him to Rose and he was glad that his family all approved but it was that much more daunting that her heart might not lead her to him but away from him.

Spud met him on the grounds of the castle and Jake shook himself out, wishing for nothing more than human legs. His wings ached from the heavy gusts that had sprung up when they were close to the castle. His mother had landed with Jonathan and Haley and Fu to walk to the castle while his grandfather had flown on and Jake had stayed with him, feeling as though he had something to prove.

"Come on," Spud said, "you need to follow me."

"What? Why?"

"Rose wants to speak with you. I asked – Trixie doesn't know what about but apparently she's been checking for signs of your arrival all day."

Jake checked over his shoulder but Gramps was already heading inside, clearly, Jake was to be left to his own devices.

"All right, where is she?"

Spud led him around the castle, to the gardens in the back.

"She's somewhere around here," Spud said.

"I know where she is, Spud, thanks."

Jake had also hollowed himself out a grove at this castle too, hidden by tall trees and full flower bushes. He wasn't surprised that Rose had found it and was glad that she had. He slid himself between two tall hedges and turned himself into a human. Rose was laying in the grass, braiding long pieces of it together.

"Rose," he said. He didn't want to scare her.

"I heard you coming. The sound of dragon's wings still make me feel like I should start running," Rose confessed. "I wonder if that'll go away."

"You were in a war camp most of your life," Jake said, lowering himself to the ground beside her. "No one can blame you for your reactions."

And he didn't. He knew perfectly well why Rose was afraid. The simple fact that she had brought it up made him afraid too.

"I've been thinking, Jake." Her shoulder touched his as she turned to look at him.

"About us?"

He knew it. He knew she had made a decision too, about what she wanted to do. The little worry line between her eyebrows that had been ever-present since she had gone into her cell had suddenly disappeared.

"I want –"

Jake wished he could pause time, never hear the end of her sentence, stay side by side in a perfect flower garden. With her next words, his heart could break completely and he didn't know how he would put himself back together afterward.

"– to marry you."

Rose was staring at him, as if she expected that he might suddenly deny her and change his mind on her. Jake kissed her deeply.

"You're sure?"

"Yes," Rose assured him, her smile brilliant. "Trixie told me about the ball, Jake. I was so concerned over never being able to really be together; I didn't want to hide like your parents."

"We won't have to."

"I know. This won't solve everything and I know we have so far to go. With the Huntsclan and the actual integration and you know how long it's going to take me to even try to get along with your mother, right? You won't hold that against me?"  
"No," Jake said. "I won't."

"I would rather problem-solve with you," Rose said, "as your wife. I'm glad you knocked me down the stairs. All things considered."

"All things considered," Jake said, "I am too."

Rose leant into him and kissed him deeply. Jake's hands fell onto her hips and pulled her as close as she could possibly get.

Happily ever after was coming for them and Jake wondered why he had ever worried.

**And, that's the end! Sorry for skipping last week but I injured myself moving and I really had nothing on my mind but that.**

**Let me know what you think and if you'd like to see more American Dragon stories from me in the future!**

**~TLL~**


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